Australian Aborigines

Gendered Roles

Nineteenth-century anthropologists observed that imitation games were one of the largest categories of games among Aboriginal children, as play was used in preparation for later life. Imitating elders' camps was a common pastime for Aboriginal children across Australia. Pastimes associated with domestic aspects included caring for dolls fashioned from sticks or pieces of bark and gathering and preparing food. Noisy, fast, and potentially dangerous games, such as sham fights and battles, were acted out by boys using sharp blades of grass as spears and wooden shields to protect them from the enemies' attack. Role-play, as in many cultures, provided Aboriginal children with an opportunity to test their understanding of traditional roles and relationships.

Education

Aboriginal games were also intricately linked to instruction of roles. While traditional games were often played for pleasure, most required skills that helped prepare children for the daily tasks of life by promoting mental and physical capabilities. Many games resembled hunting situations and were designed to prepare youths for warfare occasions, placing an emphasis on protection, precision, and agility—all vital for survival in a threatening situation. For example, in North Queensland young men played a game called Kalq, where they threw spears at each other and deflected them with wooden shields. Wana, a traditional game known in Western Australia, was only played by girls. It taught them to defend their young by warding off attacks from other girls with large sticks.

Memory games, played by the Walbiri tribe of the Northern Territory, helped children to remember and identify the surrounding landscape. A large circle was [Page 50]drawn on the ground that contained a variety of sticks and stones, each representing a prominent landmark in the area. Each player turned their back on the circle and named the objects in order until they made a mistake. Memory games were an essential tool in the education of children's spatial awareness.

Australian Aborigines preparing a meal in a lithograph from 1895. Games gave adults and children an opportunity to take a break from the daily survival tasks, such as hunting, gathering, and preparing food.

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