What is a totem? Why are they used by Aboriginal People? The aboriginals are part of a unique culture in Australia. The aboriginals were the first to set foot in Australia and to discover the history and beauty of the land. With many unique names and tribes, aboriginals have shaped Australia to be a well known country for their symbolism and artwork. But they also created many traditions and spiritual meanings. One of them being the totem. The totem is a natural (sometimes mythical) animal/s who you feel a deep and spiritual connection with in your soul. The totem is used to protect, help and guide you on the right path, if your having a rouge day or in doubt. The Wurundjeri people use Bunjil the Eagle as their totem, one of the women from the Wurundjeri people said “when she sees an eagle, it’s a sign that she is doing the right thing”. The totem is a important part of the aboriginal community and will stay inside their heart forever. Choose an indigenous Australian animal for your totem. Think about that animal and how it relates to you. Include a sourced and labeled picture. I have chosen the dingo as my totem animal for multiple purposes. I have chosen this animal as to me, the dingo resembles being free, content, loyal and wild. Why I think the dingo represents these characteristics and how I relate to them: Whenever I picture a dingo, I always picture it free and wild, with the rest of it’s pack, sticking together and working as a team to hunt and provide food. To me, I feel free as we have many opportunities around us compared to other countries where woman can’t go to school. I have always had a close relationship with my family and we always stick together. I also said content, this is because their faces look happy and full of joy. I love it as this animal will remind me to stay content and happy, even during your worst struggles. The last symbol is being loyal. I chose this because dingoes are loyal creatures. It teaches me and others to be loyal to each other, just like these animals are.
Describe the animal including size, colour, 7-level classification, scientific name, aboriginal names (include from which language group).
Colour: The dingo is normally a ginger red colour with a white tip at the end of its tail. The spine and neck usually have darker shades of fur. The fur above the paws is normally white and the fur by its snout is usually white. Size: The height of an adult dingo is around 52-63 cm Mass: The mass of an adult dingo is around 13-24 kg but the females tend to be smaller in size. 7 level classification: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Canidae Genus: Canis Species: Dingo Scientific name: Canis lupus Aboriginal Name: Including language group: For the Yuggera and Yuggerabul tribe, the name for dingo is Mirri What is its normal habitat/s? Include both a description and a labelled picture. The dingoes habitat consists of desert, alpine, woodland and grasslands. The dingo lives in this habitat as it digs a den in the soil or hollow logs for shelter. They create these dens typically close to a stream or supply of water.
Where can it be found in Australia (distribution)? Include a map. Dingos are found in every state of Australia except Tasmania. The creature is more noticeable in the Northern Territory and Western Queensland than most other states. Did you know that cross breeding between dingos and dogs is very common? It’s extremely rare to see a truly pure dingo! Here is a map showing the population distribution of the dingo:
What is its natural diet? The dingo mainly hunts at dawn when their prey is most active. Their food ranges from rats, possums, gliders, mice and rabbits but their main source of food are wallabies and kangaroos.
What animals eat it? Who are its predators? The dingo does not have any unpleasant creatures trying to eat them as they are a top order consumer in the food chain. This means there are no other animals that are trying to attack them. However there is a possibility that their young could get eaten by birds and other carnivores due to their smaller appearance. Draw up a food web containing your animal.
Is this animal under threat? What is its conservation status? (E.g. extinct, endangered, vulnerable, least concern, etc.) Explain what this status means. This animal could be under threat in the future. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the dingo is classified as vulnerable. This means there could be a possibility that the animal could be in danger from being attacked or harmed in years to come. Are numbers of this organism decreasing or stable? What factors affect the population numbers of this organism? What is the influence of human activity on the organism? The dingo has been thriving for a long time but due to interbreeding with dogs, the numbers have decreased. Pure dingoes are very hard to find. Feeding dingoes can also be a threat to it’s survival and our wellbeing as if the dingo has no fear of humans, they can potentially kill someone or use aggressive behaviour. This is because, if the dingo associates with humans it takes away the dingo’s natural instinct to run away from us. By law the Australian Government has banned feeding dingoes and penalties will apply.
What can be done to protect the animal? Are there any conservations strategies? Since 2004, the only country that protects the dingo is Australia. Many conservation projects have been in place to keep these beautiful creatures alive. Some of the main protection sites and areas are the Federal National Parks, World Heritage areas, Aboriginal reserves and the Australian Capitol Territory. Although the dingo is protected, many say it’s a pest. Due to this, the Northern Territory does not put the dingo under protection. The state of NSW announced that this creature is becoming a threatened species. The Australian Federal Government has recently published a guideline to conserve the animal. Questions to consider are, if the pure dingo becomes extinct, how will the ecosystem differ? The rabbit is a major prey source but some rabbits are carriers of the calicivirus disease, will this effect their food source dramatically? These are all important things to consider if we are to conserve the species. Draw your animal and include symbols to represent your totem. This must be an original (you may use aboriginal art as a style guide). Describe what these symbols mean to you (interpret your drawing). Include a photograph of your drawing on your webpage. Within my dingo picture, I drew many patterns and symbols. My symbols are clouds, a rainbow and flowers. To me, all these symbols are important in many different ways. I drew a flower as it symbolises “bloom wherever your planted” which is a motto I love! This means no matter where you go, always choose to have a happy attitude. I chose a rainbow because after a storm, there is normally a rainbow. When there are challenges in life that create a storm, there will always be a rainbow and something good will come out of it. I also chose clouds because I think they represent freedom. We are so fortunate to live in a country where everyone has equal rights and freedom. Here is my drawing: