This clip chosen to be PG
Clip description
Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory. On the beach it’s time to play out one of the dramas of daily life – the return of the hunters.
Curator’s notes
The coast of Arnhem Land in Australia’s Northern Territory has been the home of Aboriginal people for thousands of years. This film is a record of a 1948 expedition to Arnhem Land sponsored by National Geographic, the Smithsonian Institute of America and the Commonwealth of Australia. It preserves very valuable filmed ethnographic material portraying the Indigenous inhabitants of the region.
Teacher’s notes
developed for NFSA digital learning 
Classroom Activities
- What aspects of material and cultural life does the video clip show?
- Does the video clip show a sustainable society? Discuss the reasons for your answer.
- Do you think this society would be able to maintain its integrity in the face of contemporary economic, social and cultural pressures?
- How was this population influenced by traders from Indonesia?
- Compare the social, economic and cultural aspects of your lifestyle to the society in the video clip.
- Ethnographic films often present a picture of ‘the other’ – a way of life that is so different from modern experience that the people seen engaged in it are portrayed as curiosities. Do you think that is the impact of this video clip? Discuss reasons why or why not.
- The image of traditional Indigenous culture and society is often romanticised, to emphasise positive aspects. Write a 400-word analysis of the cinematic techniques used in the video clip. Include comments on how music, voice-over and images are used to present an image of Indigenous culture and say whether or not it is a romanticised presentation.
- How are the people and activities presented in this video clip? This video clip is from a film made in 1948. How has this affected the way people and activities are presented?
- What aspects of contemporary life would have an impact on the activities seen in this clip? What is your response in view of the video clip you have seen? How can this community help their young people? Do you think is it important to maintain their culture? Prepare your responses and share with the class.
Glossary
To caulk: to waterproof
Literacy Activity: Focus = Listening /Responding
- Who first supplied the metal tools?
- How are boats sealed (corked)?
- What is the ‘Return of the Hunters’?
- What is easy and/or difficult about life in this environment?
Thanks to the generosity of the rights holders, we are able to offer Making a canoe and hunting a turtle from the documentary Aborigines of the Sea Coast as a high quality video download.
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seacoast1_bb.mp4
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australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.
All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions.
When you access australianscreen you agree that:
- You may retrieve materials for information only.
- You may download materials for your personal use or for non-commercial educational purposes, but you must not publish them elsewhere or redistribute clips in any way.
- You may embed the clip for non-commercial educational purposes including for use on a school intranet site or a school resource catalogue.
- The National Film and Sound Archive’s permission must be sought to amend any information in the materials, unless otherwise stated in notices throughout the Site.
All other rights reserved.
ANY UNAUTHORISED USE OF MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY RESULT IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY.
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