Physical Education with an Aboriginal Perspective

Extract

Aboriginal children, like all others, have a love and enthusiasm for physical activity in the form of play, games and sport. For a variety of reasons, this enthusiasm does not always carry over into the other areas of the school program. Mitchell’s (1973) comments are quite commonplace – and they apply not only in Aboriginal schools:

He was an alert lad with well above average intelligence, but apart from sport and a partiality for listening to good stories, he seemed disinterested in schooling.

Actually, it is not so surprising that Aboriginal people show an interest in physical activity as evidence suggests that recreational activities formed an integral part of the traditional way of life. The amount of time available for, and the extent and quality of the leisure pursuits, is suggested by Tonkinson (1974):

Contrary to earlier assertions about hunting and gathering peoples, we now know that the task of obtaining daily food rarely occupied more than a few hours of the Aborigines’ time. In summer at least, the intense heat discouraged Aborigines from moving about during most of the day. Their leisure hours were many, whatever the season, and the opportunities to be sociable were endless. Horde members were constantly on the lookout for telltale smoke, which indicated the presence of other small groups. The resultant meeting generated excitement as people exchanged gossip, recounted their recent exploits, and perhaps held informal singing and dancing sessions. (p.18)