CONVERSATION
CONVERSATION
CONVERSATION
HUMAN TRACES:
ETHIOPIA
HUMAN TRACES:
ETHIOPIA
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
DESTINATIONS
DESTINATIONS
The Dreamtime, or the Dreaming, portrays the Aboriginal beliefs in spiritual existence. According to the tribes that first settled down in the continent, the Dreaming's roots date all the way back to the very begging of the creation of the world. The meaning and ideology of the term is generally not so well-understood by non-indigenous people as it is referred to as part of the culture of one of the early nations, which differs from modern perceptions.
The Spirits were the creators of everything. They made the land and the seas, the rocks and the plants, the sky and the earth. They were the higher power and the Australian Aborigines spent their lifetimes honoring this power, which guided their path and shaped their way of thinking. Not only creators of everything, which could be seen as well as felt, the Spirits also gave the Aborigines the Dreaming.
The time when everything started existing according to the initial Australians, was called the Dreaming. This is the foundation of the continent's culture. The origin of the Dreaming goes way back - 65 000 years back in time to be exact. The Ancestors of the nation shaped the land, forming some parts of it as sacred. The Aborigines were very careful and overprotective of those places, strongly believing in their significance.
The Australian Aborigines are known to have believed that the world didn't have any shape and was therefore empty. Darkness dominated, and life was simply asleep, but this changed when the creation began happening. After the Dreaming and the influence of the Spirits, objects began taking shapes and came to be. They created the four elements: water, earth, air and fire, as well as all the planets, the Sun and the Moon. The Dreaming therefore is a continuous process, which never ended. It is a small cosmos on its own, unifying the past, present and the future into one.
The Australian Aborigines' home riches so many vivid areas of the continent, including Fraser Island, Tasmania, Palm Island, Groote Eylandt and Mornington Island. The Aborigines had very strong believes in relation to the powers of the land, claiming that they never owned it - it rather owned them. The only reason they were able to call it their home is because they were looking after it and the land was taking care of the people in return.
Equally important to the Dreaming was the tribes' understandings of the disappearance of the Spirits. There came a time, when the creators of everything vanished from sight. Some of them were thought to have started living in sacred places, which is why the Aborigines perceived their homeland to be so sacred. The ancestors of today's Australians used to believe that the creators started living in rocks, in water holes and some went up to the sky to guide the people from above and keep them safe. Others transformed completely, taking the forms of the rain, the lightnings and the thunderstorms so they could be part of peoples' life.
Among the hundred's different Aboriginal languages, there isn't a word to describe 'time', because to them this simply doesn't exist. Dreaming and Dreamtime are used to replace it and summarize the ideologies of the Aborigines about everything they knew, everything they could see, feel and experience. This is why the Dreaming has such a vivid, and overwhelming meaning and has survived the obstacles of time. For the past couple thousand years, the Dreaming has built a rich cultural heritage that can identify a whole nation.
Read more about the Land, its connection to people and the way it has been perceived from different generations in the very first print issue of ORIGIN. The Land Issue covers varied topics, most of which remain related to cultural aspects of the land and its importance.
A lot of people travel to explore places and learn about them which is the message that ORIGIN wants to spread. With traveling, however, comes certain responsibilities that we should all be aware of. Elephants riding has become a popular way to explore locations by land. People have been doing this as part of their trips, mostly to places such as Thailand, Nepal, Cambodia and other parts of Asia. It is a common thing to see in certain places in Africa as well. We investigated the activity to explain why it is wrong and riding elephants should be banned everywhere.
Our first print issue studies culture and traveling represented through the land. We explored various location around the globe and learned what makes the land so valuable, which nations cherish it and how it helps us establish an identity. Traveling is important to us but traveling responsibly and making an impact is what we feel proud to stand behind. This is why riding elephants as a way of amusement should be reconsidered.
Let’s talk about the details. Elephants are very caring and extremely intelligent animals. It is a well-known fact that they never forget anything. When kept in captivity instead of spending their life in the wild, elephants die younger. Unlike in other species, this is common for the gentle giants and is often a result for stress.
Many African cultures respect elephants, believing they symbolize strength, loyalty and power. However, power can be a very tender concept. Elephant used as a tourism tool suffer from great pain daily. Elephants can be hurt very severely from the weight of carrying people and a trainer on their backs. The reason for this is the design of their spines. They have sharp protrusions, extending upwards from their spine instead of having round spinal disks. The protrusions and the tissue that serves to protect them can be harmed easily from weight pressure. Once a damage to their spine has been made, there is no going back and sometimes the harm can be irreversible. While this can’t be physically seen, the harm that the chairs can do to the elephants’ skin is. It is often the case that the chairs and the weight on their back can damage the animal’s skin and cause pain to their body. The chair, called Howdah, that gets attached to their backs, rubs on their skin and can cause blisters, which can sometimes get infected.
The training that elephants are required to go through when in captivity sometimes adopts a traditional Thai ‘phajaan’ or ‘crush’ technique. Explaining the technique would compare it to the animals’ spirits constantly and continuously being broken by the means of torture and social isolation. This is done in order to tame them. Elephants are wild animals, this is their nature as they are born in such conditions. Making them safe and obedient around people requires them to go through such training. As horrible as it sounds, in some places young elephants are taken away from their mothers to be abused with nails, bull hooks and bamboo sticks to make them obey rules, given by people. The animals often lack sleep and are starved to become submissive.
Actions from such nature are cruel and harmful as the technique is used to crash the animals’ spirit. Once wild and free, elephants become a source of tourism and entertainment. Nobody, who cared about sustainable tourism should ever ride an elephant.
In a sense, elephants have a human soul. They socialise and feel everything – pain, happiness, grief, sadness etc. They spend their life building families and finding friends. The largest land animals are a gift from nature and it is our responsibility to take special care of them and make sure they live according to their nature. Many animals, who are kept in captivity, are forced to live in isolation and carry heavy loads all day long, which is a wrong way to treat them. Their strength and power shouldn’t be abused but treated gently and celebrated by people. Elephants require minimal care to stay happy and healthy, which comes from giving them freedom to behave naturally and socialise. It is our responsibility to be culturally aware while traveling and make sure to spread awareness about the problem.
You can read the rest of the article as published in the LAND issue.
WHAT'S IN THE NOMADIC ISSUE
The NOMADIC Issue #03
We take you underwater to see what makes the nation of the 'sea nomads' so special and map out which are the best destinations for lovers of adrenaline rush. Find what else is included in this print issue from this quick run-through
Words by: The Editors
11 July 2020
We are excited to introduce The NOMADIC Issue. Within the pages of the third print issue, our journalists, photographers, and contributors aim to emerge the readers in the beauty of leading a nomadic lifestyle. Through articles and photo guides, we roam the world, much like nomads do, to connect with a lively variety of cultures and places while searching for an epitome feeling of freedom and discovering satisfaction in self-growth.
Identifying oneself as a nomad is a center piece for many of our readers. This is also a leading element of our publication, and we take this opportunity to dive deeper into this beautiful concept. The third print issue is dedicated to exploring what inspires nomads, what drives them and what it means to be one in today’s world.
Here is a short overview of what you can expect to find in our third print issue to get you excited for ordering your own copy.
Adrenaline Rush
Calling all the lovers of adrenaline sports! Our first feature is aimed at discovering all there is to know about the world of extreme sports. From novelist describing the term for the very first time in the 50’s, to teenagers establishing the sports as ‘a thing’ in the 70’s, learn how the element of danger makes the world of extreme sports so irresistible.
The team behind this Australian home-feel label is on a mission to bring a deeper meaning to ‘homeliness’ for families all over the world and for nomads who have embarked on a journey to explore the world. Read our exclusive interview to learn how France and cities in the Mediterranean have turned into inspiration for the designs.
Retro Millennials
For many millennials, record players have turned into a must-have item. For the first time since 1986, vinyl outsold CD’s. We take a look at how retro ways of music consumption can make nomads feel closer to home. Learn why so many people prefer this stylish, yet old-fashioned way of connecting with music idols.
Women Who Surf
In a world where waves have been dominated by men, treating female surfers with equal respect, and encouraging them to pursue their full potential remains challenging for those in charge of the surfing industry. Yet, the tides are about to turn the ocean of female surfing inequality around. This feature is about being proud of all the powerful women surfers out there who are pushing to make a real change in the world of surfing.
Travel to Rome, Italy
Explore the Eternal City of Rome alongside our editor-in-chief. Aleksandra takes us on an adventure through the busy piazzas of the capital city and the tucked-away streets while on a mission to bring an authentic feel of this Italian paradise to your armchair. Follow her as she merges with the crowd and learns the secrets of the city from locals and entangles their recommendations with her own experiences.
Sea Nomads
Swimming the waters around Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, the “sea nomads” can hold their breath longer than any professional diver. We attempt to come closer to their underwater universe and learn more about their unique lifestyle. Take a dive below the surface with us to see for yourself how they hunt, live and dive to such extreme depths.
Chasing Footsteps in the Desert
Desert dust footprints mark our way, bonding our generation to a time of Indians and Native American tribes. Read the story of how the rocks and deserts hold whispers for no one to hear about the lifetime of the nations that first turned the area into their homeland.
The Charm of Santorini’s Island Nation
Volcanic eruptions – check. Greek legacy – check. Island beauty – check. Welcome to Santorini. This stunning place has been attracting foreign tourists for decades, but its reputation as a resort destination is not all there is to the island. Santorini, much like Greece in itself, is complex, fascinating and breath-taking. Dig deeper than the whitewashed façades of traditional blue-domed buildings and discover the true beauty of the island.
Roam Kenya
Pink bananas in plain sight, endless dusty roads in the horizon and wild animals leaving their prints in the dust – Kenya is the epitome of abstract escapism. If you are after that authentic Kenyan experience, but you don’t know where to start your research, we’ve got you covered. This feature focuses on topics about the Sub-Saharan oasis from the perspective of locals and travellers alike.
Buck Naked Soap Company
In our exclusive interview with the founder of Buck Naked Soap Company, we talk about skincare products and tips on what to avoid doing. We ask Rina Clarke about her inspiration for starting a brand dedicated to advocating for the sustainable movement in skincare. Explore the products and learn a thing or two about what matters most in the long run.
We meet our readers with the forward-thinking fashion brand that is in the game to change the industry. The designs by Léa The Label are not only bold and beautiful, but also sustainable and timeless. The fabric is created from 100% regenerated nylon and the sophisticated variety of styles have established the brand as a trendsetter. We talked to the founder, Léa Daaboul about the details that make the brand special.
NOMADSofORIGIN is an independent annual publication with a focus on sustainable travelling and global cultural values. Each issue features interviews, engaging articles and photo guides, which take our nomadic readers through different destinations and introduce them to local people's perspectives.
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