Music and dance are very important within the aboriginal culture, and every part of the performance has a connection to mother earth. Indigenous peoples use music and dance in everyday life and on special occasions, demonstrating the importance of the arts to the First Nations. This is a very important area to focus on when learning about the indigenous culture as it is one of the foundations that bring the culture together. This video goes into depth with a demonstration of how these performances are displayed and discusses the musical instruments used and how these instruments are made as well. This tradition has been carried on for thousands of years to tell stories of dream time and about the past, present and future. Society is ever-changing, so it is important to keep the tradition alive and keep children well-educated on the subject. As an educator or a pre-service teacher, it is crucial to ensure that the AITSL standards are being met when reflecting on our practice. At a graduate level, a teacher should be able to ‘Demonstrate broad knowledge of, understanding of and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and languages’ (AITSL, 2013).

Dreamtime is commonly known as ‘the dreaming’ and this is referred to as indigenous beliefs and describing important features of aboriginal culture (Linklater, 2023). These stories and artworks are often created with many aspects such as rivers, rocks, animals, people and plants and these are often incorporated into the storytelling. These stories form a belief in a way of spirituality that acknowledge the beginning of time through to today. Dreamtime can be described as the 'foundation of Aboriginal religion and culture and dates back over 65,000 years’ (Linklater, 2023). These dreamtime stories hold value, such as events and how mother earth was created. Dreamtime stories are sacred, and a large part of the identity of the First Nation’s people, and these stories are made to be shared amongst each other and other cultures. It is important to incorporate dreamtime stories into indigenous cultural learning, particularly for younger age groups, as they are an eye-catching and engaging way to capture children’s attention and spread messages and spiritual meanings to individuals. Dreamtime stories are similar to aboriginal music and movement as they both tell stories and have meaning behind them. These stories are intended to make the listener/observer visualise the context and become a part of the process. 

Introducing dreamtime stories in the form of these YouTube videos will encourage children to comprehend a different kind of storytelling as opposed to the western books they read each day in class. Indigenous peoples have kept the culture alive by sharing their stories and spreading messages about the land to all. I believe it is important to carry on this tradition for future generations.