Australian Aborigines and Indonesian Makassans

An analysis of stories from coastal Northern Territory, South Sulawesi and across the Indonesian archipelago showed some similarities amongst the themes of the stories, the agents within the stories, the outcomes or actions and the new forms where they were created within the stories. When each of these was examined in detail, however, there were striking differences. Aboriginal stories showed a far more subtle relationship with the natural environment and subsistence living whereas the other groups shared a greater similarity that revolved more around interpersonal relationships and interactions. It is possible that Aboriginal stories did not influence those of the Makassans because of the complexity of intertwined story, dance and ceremony of the former as well as the strong cultures of both.