5 Lessons From Aboriginal Culture to Help Millennials Discover Their True Identify

Our complex individuality is what makes a nation prosperous.

Back then in school, the established mantra was: “You have to do well in school and go to college to get a good job, or you will be a failure for life!”

With high student debt, a declining quality of college education producing more students than available jobs, and consequently a lack of job prospects, many millennials have seen this fearful of this such mantra. Tony Abbott might have well written it! Instead, many Millennials are choosing other paths.

Many go about their daily lives trapped in what appears to be an endless sequence of actions. They are confused and lost. They don’t know what to do with their lives — forgetting why they often do certain things in the first place.

To live a rich and meaningful life, we must pause for a moment to consider the fundamental question; “Who am I?”

Self-identity is more than knowing your likes and dislikes, personality, strengths, and weaknesses. All of these things are important, but they don’t define the question of “who I am.” And that’s why neglect it as a quest in a short or long-term search.

The fundamental things in life are not questioned until they are no longer taken for granted. Most of us don’t really think about the air we breathe until its quality is threatened.

Concern for identity, both at a collective and individual level, can be understood along the same lines.

Why is self-identity important?

The term “identity” refers to the capacity for self-reflection and self-awareness. Components of identity include a sense of personal recognition and uniqueness from other people based on their family, cultural, and social encounters.

The question “Who am I” determines how I speak, how I dress, how I interact with others, how I behave in the workplace and in social situations. There is integrity and the resulting inner peace when words, thoughts, and actions are consistent with one’s identity.

This construction of individuality and uniqueness distinguishes a person from others, as people define themselves both in the eyes of others and themselves.

A person’s identity is the projection of the self, a process that cannot be crafted. We develop our identity by addressing our problems. We find our identity by understanding ourselves and others.

The search for identity implies a much greater sensitivity, not only towards ourselves but also towards the society in which we live.

To express the contours of his inner world of thought and feeling, to gain insight into the influences and circumstances that have shaped it, he attempts to intertwine the inner and outer world through questions of objective and apparently factual description regarding politics, economics, historical and public affairs of people and places.

Importance of Millennials quest for self-discovery

Millennials are having a hard time, no doubt. Labeled narcissistic, underachievers, lazy, poor team workers — basically, anything that keeps you out of a job in the workforce- is a stigma that’s hard to get rid of.

There is some truth to this. However, this has more to do with the pampering of children by their parents than with an actual generational change.

Children are shielded from the reality of the world, given a false sense of security, and crumbled if allowed to go out. There is also the argument that millennials are antisocial, more interested in their own hobbies and interests than what other generations consider more important.

It must also be understood that what can be considered antisocial behavior is, in fact, disinterest in a system that is perceived as failed and that certainly does not work in their favor.

It is a mistake to think that millennials are lazy narcissists who prefer socialism because it offers them a free ride. With socialism, millennials favor it for the same reason that their contemporaries prefer Trump. They hate the system.

Of course, my advice would be for millennials to dismiss socialism and Trump as false idols; They should forget the failed systems and make their way. I have taken the time to explain five lessons that millennials can learn from Aboriginal people to discover their intrinsic identity.

They abide by the laws of their land.

The ancestors taught the Aboriginal people how to live in the countryside, and these ways were called “Law.” It was the law that perpetuated the network of relationships established by the ancestors, and the network of relationships established by the ancestors formed the pattern that was life itself.

“The land is my backbone… I only stand straight, happy, proud, and not ashamed about my color because I still have land. I think of land as the history of my nation.” — Galarrwuy Yunipingu, an Aboriginal musician.

Maintaining this link with your culture is essential to pass on important stories to younger generations. Without their connection to the land, the Aboriginal artist cannot live and work or farm in the land of their birth.

They build a connection with nature.

The Aborigines have already lived for more than 50,000 years, but they still hold their heritage close to their hearts. The ability of people to change and adapt over time is one of the main reasons our culture has been around for so long.

They believe that ancestors turned into trees, stars, rocks, troughs, or other objects. These sites are sacred to the people: Uluru or Ayers Rock in the Northern Territory is one such site.

“Destruction is like tearing pages from the books in our library; it is like cutting the hearts of our people, cutting our identities and our cultural philosophy that maintains our spiritual connection to the earth.”

Knowledge of rituals, language, and the protection of holy places is passed down from generation to generation, and cultural achievements and traditional arts are celebrated when we all come together.

They hope for a better future.

Aboriginal people have faced and continue to face many challenges in the post-colonial era, including challenges to their identity.

There is a clash between the dominant educational culture and curriculum and their own culture and identity for many indigenous students and their families. Indigenous forms of learning and interaction and non-indigenous forms of learning and interaction do not necessarily coincide either.

Lack of recognition of indigenous culture and the identity of the school culture and identity can result in the practical exclusion of the indigenous student and their family from the school community.

Hopefully, this will change by introducing the professional standards for teacher education graduates by the Australian Institute for School Teaching and Leadership (AITSL). Many educators are now struggling to incorporate an indigenous perspective into their lesson plans.

Seeking development through education will foster a positive self-identity. History must be deeper and more far-reaching, and responsible education must foster a broader appreciation of the diversity of history and culture.

The benefits of true reconciliation in teaching future generations for the past 50,000 years are enormous.

They discover individual talents by exploring their culture.

In Aboriginal culture “walkabout” quest is to find one’s self-worth and put his skills to test during a six-month journey through the desert.

Being alone in the desert gives them space and time to think and reflect. These youngsters between the ages of ten and sixteen are required to live and survive alone in the wilderness.

They discover knowledge about their world — by knowing which plants are edible, where to hunt animals, and most importantly, where to find wells of water. Deep knowledge of the environment is the only way not to die.

The safe paths are known and passed down from generation to generation through songlines created by their ancestors. Songs, stories, art, dance, and paintings were also used to record plant species, plant remedies, and animals throughout Australia.

Essentially, the Aboriginal ritual is the ultimate survival test that a young man must pass to reach adulthood. The person who walks has to prove to the elderly that he can survive the harsh environment of his homeland.

Geographic exploration has limits, but the exploration of ourselves as human beings is infinite. It helps us discover who we really are.

They believe in empathy and recognition.

One of the most important skills that historical research fosters is empathy, sympathy, and concern for other people of different times and cultures.

Empathy is a very powerful emotion that helps us recognize and understand diversity. As such, it is an important prerequisite for achieving reconciliation in our society.

If millennials can develop knowledge about why cultures are different, it will help develop empathy, foster an appreciation for diversity, and hopefully undermine the growth of racist views.

Final thoughts

Millennials do not like having the will of a minority imposed on them. They want freedom of choice. For them, the choice is like having the right to vote for English Chartists.

Business opportunities have increased tremendously with this generation. Millennials are not angels. But no generation is. The older generation, the one that crushed fascism, created the baby boomers, who created Generation X, who created us. But criticizing us just because we see the world differently is unfair.

Even in my own city, I’m in awe at the number of small businesses founded by millennials. But it’s not just about the pursuit of wealth. The focus is more on personal enrichment, either spiritually or through skill acquisition. They want to change the world they live in.

Millennials deserve the chance to prove themselves. They deserve the right to change the world according to their vision.

This search for your own identity should be encouraged. Only in this way can we be influential protagonists in the transformation and improvement of the world.

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