[00:01.42]Aboriginal legends,
[00:02.91]songs and dances tell of powerful spirits
[00:06.34]who created the land and people
[00:08.09]during the Dreamtime.
[00:10.22]There was no written Aboriginal language and,
[00:13.06]in fact, most of the 600 tribes
[00:15.11]spoke different dialects
[00:17.02]and rarely met except on ceremonial occasions.
[00:20.56]The tradition of the Dreamtime,
[00:22.10]however, united the people.
[00:24.27]Rock paintings showing this creation period
[00:26.84]can be found all over the country.
[00:29.07]Some of the most spectacular
[00:30.71]and best preserved can be seen
[00:32.43]at rock galleries in Kakadu National Park
[00:35.53]and other parts of Northern Australia.
[00:38.10]The arrival of while people gradually brought
[00:40.72]an end to the traditional Aboriginal
[00:42.56]way of life.
[00:43.97]The "new" Australians began to build
[00:46.62]and settle on the aboriginal tribal lands.
[00:50.31]Today, most Aborigines live in cities
[00:53.05]and towns or in settlements near tribal lands.
[00:57.36]Few continue the old nomadic way of life.
[01:00.45]In recent years,
[01:02.06]white Australians have become more sensitive
[01:04.52]to the Aborigines'situation.
[01:06.70]The result has been an increase
[01:08.41]in health and educational servises,
[01:10.70]greater recognition of Aboriginal land rights
[01:13.67]and a growing appreciation
[01:14.99]of Aboriginal culture.
[01:16.93]Many museums now dispaly Aboriginal art
[01:19.86]and craft as well as musical instruments.
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