In his book entitled Aboriginal Man in Australia: Essays in Honour of Emeritis Professor A. P. Elkin, Ronald Berndt has an essay about “Law and Order in Aboriginal Australia”. It is in this essay that he explains how the Aborigines' keep order. For example, he states that “law and order are upheld by men known as elders” (Aboriginal Man in Australia p. 167). The essay not only shows how highly Ronald Berndt thought of Elkin but it also shows that even he himself was very knowledgeable about the topic. He states that
“The virtual absence of clearly defined political authority in Aboriginal Australia has, over the years, provoked much interest in the problem of how the peace is maintained, and how interpersonal conflict is kept sufficiently in check to ensure that social living is not only fairly orderly but also relatively agreeable.” (Aboriginal Man in Australia p. 167).
This shows not only how much he knows about the Aboriginal people but how he also shows in a hidden manner that he knew the people. This is hinted to when he describes their political system and how it works from an objective point of view. Not only is this expected but it is required for anthropologists. If the views are even remotely skewed, the facts will be lost and the data will be worthless.
Another instance when Ronald is able to “flex his brain” so to speak is when he states “The past brought to life again in the present, the present projected into the future—this, in effect, is sacred ceremony.” (The First Australians p. 96) He goes on to state that
“The men and women who practice it do so in deadly earnest, convinced that on the success of their effort depends their own welfare and that of their neighbors. It is a serious matter, with no half measures: for the skeptic and the dissenter, found only today among those whose faith has been shaken by the introduction of alien values, no longer participate in these sacred rites.” (The First Australians p. 96)
These sentences not only show the seriousness of the man but also the seriousness of the people which he was learning about. He makes it very clear that change is not always for the better. When he speaks of “alien values” he is speaking of the western world and its corruption. That is why people who had been “shaken” were no longer allowed to participate in the sacred rites. This shows that the tribes were strict, but they were that way for what they believe to be their own protection and welfare. No person would want to bring tragedy to themselves and their neighbors because man naturally seeks pleasure through instinct.
On a somewhat humorous note, depending on how it is interpreted, Ronald goes on to say that “most of the principal religious ceremonies have a common basic intent, springing from to of the fundamental drives of man—hunger and sex.” He was probably not trying to be funny when he wrote this but he makes a very good point that still holds true today.
Ronald Murray Berndt was an accomplished and respected anthropologist. Because of him many people have the opportunity to learn about a group of people that are otherwise secluded from the rest of the world.
References:
The Berndt Museum of AnthropologyWritten By: Jeff Briggs, 2003
Edited By: David Gardner 2007