The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-08-03
IlII. WnIII\oEt

= & . y . " j.
-" race that tho white man has
found il profitable to drive from lis
''fl2lhal possessions has had its char
1ftor =" thoroughly and so universally
,'Sh3lr'h"d as the Australian. Until
ne years no good word could he
*F7ken for the Australian black bow:
bis physical appearance. his lack of
n.t"lH@fN1s his personal habits. hi.
morals and customs "cre alike lapul-
|s2N". n" need III cheap labor. hoN-
yer, IN" experience OF contact for a
snfnrN and the leisure Of scicntifo
ihN"@tl2atl'n are. SAYS the N"w Nnrl;
sun, rapidly relaahili,atine him: il
turns "ut that h" has good qualities.
'ir"r az. ana ""lN recently a namelnss
ID" ks" received from the king Of
ENGLAND a medal for bravery in saving
l!i't. rhe cthnoloeists are revaline in
th.lr discoveries IF Australian habits
|hHd OF their intricate social nrclnjza-
non ana complex totem system: they.
|hAli"Na they have before them man in
ms most primitive stage and are rear
ing ny scientific air castles from the
facts of black boy existence. And lust
rs Professor Loeb and other biologists
think that they have discovered the
|secret of the origin of life in tn. low
|'st forms of animals, o combination of
sea urchln and salt water, MI. J. c.
IMoGregorN in the Westminster Reyiev.
seeks in tn" most primitive type of
man that can he observed convenient
Il. tn" black boy. the birth Of the idea
tnf religion.
While the Australian aborginos live
entirely in totemism and spend an in
Icredihle amount of time and attention
ON thu ceremonies connocted with
ltheir totems Mr.. GROCERY can find no
trace of religion in them. The cero-
monies are dramatic representations
of 1he life of the animal. plant or ma
ltural force. like rain. that is the to
item: the object is to make tho totem
Ia"r and thus provide y more abundant
supply OF TODD to the members of its
lclan. There is no supernatural idea
la~ttached to il. Neither is there any
idea of priesthood or possibility Of the
Development of anything like one in
tine group attached I . each particular
Totem. for every individual belongs to
lsome totem and has a special connec
Ition with it. There is no room for
supernatural beings in the shape Of
tine spirits Of the dead, for the Aus
I~tlalian believes that he himself is the
lreincarnation Of A dead ancestor. In
lnrlv n totem belonging to the War
|famunsa tribe does Mr. Gregory see
lthe element Of supernaturalism. a DOS
lslhle beginning of snake worship.
which is by no means an uncommon
|cu!t among other races.
This is the Wollunaua. a mythical
snake which is to the natives. how
lever. is very real. 1t is inGini., in
length and apparently death,ess. II
but it can reach heaven with it's head.
Hives i'm a pool and keeps its tail the, o
IThe natives use both propitia-jon ard
coercion to keep it from doing harm,
for Inducing it to help them. ou, they
10 not avoid the pool in when III.
Aollunqua dwells. In their cerenonv
they represent it by a long cigar
Ishaped mound, decorated with bands
and patches; n end shaped for the
head. the other for the tail. They
Istroke the mound with a gum branch
ito soothe the Wollunqua: they. alsr
Iattack it with spears. ~boomerangs and
|clubs to drive the beast to its lair
There is only one Wollun1ua. where.
as the other totems are represented h,
the whole species: when they are ami.
mate they die and others take their
place, but the Wollunqua lives on for.
lever. Mr.. Gregory. therefore. thinks
that it may be taken. with the at.
tendant ceremonies. as the beginnine
Iof a religion. of which some germ:
may exist in totemism itself. 1t is the
Isolation of the Australians. their re
lmoteness from outward suggestions o.
snake worship, that gives importance
to his hypothesis.