aboriginal shield facts

The campaign to bring home the Gweagal shield and spears, his journal, held by the National Library of Australia, an actor, artist and esteemed academic historian, Dja Dja Wurrung elder and fellow activist, Gary Murray, National Museum of Australia exhibition, Encounters, read at the museum to the applause of some museum staff, 2013 Protection of Cultural Objects on Loan Act, acknowledging Gweagal ownership of the artefacts and urging their repatriation. Some other examples can be found in regional museum collections in the United Kingdom. The Museum acknowledges that the shield, irrespective of any association with Cook, is of significance as probably the oldest known shield from Australia in any collection. The Barunga Festival is a display of the absolute best of Indigenous Australia, full of breathtaking performances. Part of the Pitt Rivers Museum Founding Collection. Australian Aboriginal Shields were made from bark or wood. Aboriginal shield. AU $15.95 postage. as percussion instruments for making music. [8][9] A fighting club, called a Lil-lil, could, with a heavy blow, break a leg, rib or skull. It is generally held that they originally came from Asia via insular Southeast Asia and have been in Australia for at least 45,000-50,000 years. The shield is a form of embodied knowledge that acts as substitute for the human body a symbol not only of the person in his entirety but also a symbol of his expanded self, that is, his relationships with others. Aboriginal ceremonial shield, mid 20th century Western Australian hardwood carved lineal fluting and detailed design front and rear. It is however primarily designed to launch a spear. 5.In 1876 Trugannini died in Hobart aged 73. Designs on earlier shields tend to be more precise and perfect. Forehead ornaments have also been found to use porpoise and dolphin teeth from the Gulf of Carpentaria. Stone artefacts include cutting tools and grinding stones to hunt and make food. In recent years it has come to symbolise British colonisation of Australia and the ongoing legacy of that colonisation. There are roughly 500 different Aboriginal groups in Australia, and each has their own culture and language. After the message had been received, generally the message stick would be burned. [37], Some Aboriginal peoples used materials such as teeth and bone to make ornamental objects such as necklaces and headbands. In 2011, almost 670 000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were living in Australia; [1] around 3 per cent of the Australian population. To straighten them the maker dries out the moisture by heating the branch over a small fire while it is still green. [11][12] The term 'returning boomerang' is used to distinguish between ordinary boomerangs and the small percentage which, when thrown, will return to its thrower. [49], Artefacts sometimes regarded as sacred items and/or used in ceremonies include bullroarers, didgeridoos and carved boards called churinga. 4. Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab. Abstract and Figures. Weapons could be used both for hunting game and in warfare. Although this picture is black and white, the incised chevron decorations are painted with red and white pigment and represent clan affiliation. [citation needed], Most Aboriginal art is not considered artefact, but often the designs in Aboriginal art are similar designs to those originally on sacred artefacts. [26], Cutting tools made of stone and grinding or pounding stones were also used as everyday items by Aboriginal peoples. Many are fire hardened and some have razor sharp quartz set into the handle with spinifex resin. [56], Indigenous Collection (Miles District Historical Village), "aboriginal weapons | Aborigines weapons | sell aboriginal weapons", "Innovation and change in northern Australian Aboriginal spear technologies: the case for reed spears", "Earliest evidence of the boomerang in Australia", "Hunting Boomerang: a Weapon of Choice Australian Museum", "An Aboriginal shield collected in 1770 at Kamay Botany Bay: an indicator of pre-colonial exchange systems in south-eastern Australia", "A Shield Loaded with History: Encounters, Objects and Exhibitions", "Food or fibercraft? It has long been conventionally held that Australia is the only continent where the entire Indigenous population maintained a single kind of adaptationhunting and gatheringinto modern times. The grooves should be continuous and not fade out where the groove angle changes. This is their flag, which depicts a traditional headdress. This elegant wooden shield is known as a mulabakka among the Aboriginal warriors who used it in south-eastern Australia, in areas now comprising Victoria and New South Wales. Fighting spears were used to hunt large animals. They were painted with red, yellow, white and black using natural materials including ochre, clay, charcoal and human blood. Spears collected by Captain Cook at Botany Bay in 1770 are in the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA) Cambridge. . Peoples from different regions used different weapons. Aboriginal childrens toys were used to both entertain and educate. For most of these Australian Aboriginal shields, the makers are unknown, and the dates range from the 19th and the 20th centuries. Their uses include warfare, hunting prey, rituals and ceremonies, musical instruments, digging sticks and also as a hammer. Boomerang by George Davis; Photo - M.Huxley. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people existed in Australia and surrounding islands before European colonization going back to time dated between 61,000 and 125,000 years ago. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities maintain strong connections to their culture, language and traditional lands and view the world with a spiritual lens that is unique to their community. Although this picture is black and white, the incised chevron decorations are painted with red and white pigment and represent clan affiliation. The reuse of this media requires cultural approval. Find about the Museum's history, architecture, research and governance, plus info on jobs, press, commercial and public enquiries. The tour is to tell the story, to highlight the events of first contact, to highlight how the artefacts were taken, to highlight how it was wrong and how it is wrong for them not to give them back to us.. Sotheby's first London sale of Aboriginal Art last year saw Jones and Cooper lobby for the National Museum to acquire a similar shield, which the Canberra institution bought for 47,500 ($99,300). Features were often painted with clay to represent a baby. Today. Aboriginal History And Culture Facts For Kids 1. Gulmari shields come from Southern Queensland. Our ancestors were sea-faring saltwater people, island specialists living off the island environment and surrounding inshore reefs and ocean. But there are positive signs that the next generation of Indigenous activists are facing fewer hurdles and less hostility than those who went before them. Oc1978,Q.839 Description Shield, undecorated, of bark and wood. Apr 23, 2020 - Aboriginal weapons can be divided into 5 main types being spears, spear throwers, clubs, shields, boomerangs. Aboriginal art is based on dreamtime stories. Languages differed between Aboriginal groups and the original Museum catalogue entry for this shield, written in 1874, notes that these shields were called wadna by another group, a name subsequently applied by them to an English boat upon seeing it for the first time, apparently due to its resemblance to their shields. Arragong and Tawarrang shields were carved of wood often with an outer layer of bark. The bas-relief grooved pattern white, forming a simple but effective contrast. Unfortunately, much of their ownership, history, and iconography have been lost. This elegant wooden shield is known as a mulabakka among the Aboriginal warriors who used it in south-eastern Australia, in areas now comprising Victoria and New South Wales. As a rule of thumb, the shields from the areas of earliest contact such as New South Wales tend to be the less common. The better the design, the more collectible. The shield has a hole near the centre consistent with being hit by a spear. Rainforest shield come from Northern Queensland. Old Antique Aboriginal Shield Large Queensland Native Creations. Australian Aboriginal artefacts include a variety of cultural artefacts used by Aboriginal Australians. Most examples of these shields are 19th century with very few later examples. Aegis (Greek mythology) - The Aegis was forged by the Cyclopes and sounded a thundering roar when in battle. The spear thrower was also used as a fire making saw, as a receptacle of mixing ochre, in ceremonies and also to deflect spears in battle. Survey of the history, society, and culture of the Australian Aboriginal peoples, who are one of the two distinct Indigenous cultural groups of Australia. [55] In Western Australia there is a collaboratively developed and managed online system for managing cultural heritage known as The Keeping Place Project. A water bag made from kangaroo skin was acquired by the Australian Museum in 1893. This bark shield was carried by one of two Indigenous Australian men who faced Captain Cook and his crew members when they first landed at Botany Bay, near Sydney on the 29 April 1770. [27] Bark could only be successfully extracted at the right time of a wet season in order to limit the damage to the tree's growth and so that it was flexible enough to use. Indigenous leaders fight for return of relics featuring in major new exhibition, Preservation or plunder? [25] "Canoe trees" can be distinguished today due to their distinctive scars. 4. spears and shields. Asymmetric shields are often a result of damage. [34] Indigenous Australians describe a stone artefact as holding the spirit of an ancestor who once owned it. Amongst the most beautiful of all the aboriginal shields the rainforest shield is also sort after by collectors. Part of the Pitt Rivers Museum Founding Collection. They are used in ceremonies, in battle, for digging, for grooving tools, for decorating weapons and for many other purposes. Boomerangs play a key role in Aboriginal mythology, known as The Dreaming mythical characters are said to have shaped the hills and valleys and rivers of the . They were painted with red, yellow, white and black using natural materials including ochre, clay, charcoal and human blood. The Bardi themselves call the shield marrga. In the wake of its exhibition at the National Museum of Australia in late 2015 and early 2016, the shield gained further public prominence and has become enmeshed within a wider politics of reconciliation. The touring activists will stage a semi-theatrical presentation about pre- and post-invasion Indigenous history The Story of the Gweagal Shield: A Journey to return the Artefacts of First Contact featuring Aboriginal storytelling, didgeridoo, film, sound and imagery. 24 Elder St His strong personal motivation was evident. All images in this article are for educational purposes only. Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA). This elegant wooden shield is known as a mulabakka among the Aboriginal warriors who used it in south-eastern Australia, in areas now comprising Victoria and New South Wales. [40] Painted requiem shark vertebrae necklaces have been found in western Arnhem Land. Dreamtime is the name for the Aboriginal belief system, which is also thousands of years old. So Im kind of interested to see what the reception is going to be at the British Museum., As part of my responsibilities as a delegate [from the Aboriginal Embassy] I can offer to start a conversation that in a way that will kind of shame the British Museum more. Wanda shields come from the desert regions of Western Australia. The British Museum acknowledges that some objects, such as the bark shield, are of high cultural significance for contemporary Indigenous Australians and we are always keen to engage in dialogue to see where we can collaborate, the spokeswoman said. Gimuy-walubarra Yidi (pronounced) ghee-moy-wah-lu-burra The shield of leaf-like shape would have been used by the Eora people of Botany Bay, New South Wales, which were the first Aboriginal nation to encounter Captain James Cook on his voyage of British discovery to Australia in 1770. We celebrate the history and contemporary creativity of the world's oldest living culture and pay respect to Elders past, present and future. It was on 28 March, during the final hour of the Encounters exhibition, that Rodney Kelly made a statement of claim on behalf of the Gweagal for the return of the shield and the spears. Almost all South east Australian Parrying shields were collected during the colonial period. A shield, used during traditional stick fights between Aboriginal men of the Kowanyama region, has been returned to country more than 60 years after it was "collected" by a group of crocodile hunters. Please enable JavaScript in your web browser to get the best experience. Aboriginal people from the Shoalhaven, on the south coast of New South Wales, have a long tradition of marking the landscape. A spear thrower is also commonly known as a Woomera or Miru. Made from softwood they are crudely painted but otherwise undecorated. The tour has been organised by the tent embassys Dylan Wood. There are two main Forms. 1. Designs are a diamond figure set in a field of herringbone, and parallel chevron and diagonal flutings. These were usually worn in association with ritual or age status but could also be worn casually. Australian Aboriginal shield come in many different forms depending on the tribe that made them and their function. They Came to Australia About 50,000 Years Ago In the early 1900s the . During the first encounter with Europeans, they would have been used as their armor of battle. Our Woppaburra ancestors were the first nation Aboriginal inhabitants of what are now known as the Keppel Islands which lay off the Capricorn Coast, Central Queensland. Keep me logged in. Australia Aboriginal shield from Australia, Oceania. They opine that their arrival in Australia was by accident. [25] The ends of the bark canoe would be fastened with plant-fibre string with the bow (front of canoe) fastened to a point. Besides Kelly, the speakers will include Roxley Foley, 33, firekeeper and custodian at Canberras Aboriginal Tent Embassy, and the legendary central Australian activist Vincent Forrester, a respected authority on pre-European contact and invasion Indigenous history. Parrying shields parry blows from a club whereas broad shields block spears. In cross section, they tend to be round or oval. An Aboriginal shield, Western Australia, early 20th century; finely carved with zig zag striations on the front and concentric squares incised on the back of the shield, traces of red ochre. Designs on la grange shields are like those found on Hair Pins and other ceremonial objects. For Aboriginal societies, these shields were unique objects of power and prestige. The Old shields tend to be larger and have the handle ridge extending from top to bottom. 1. Wanda shields were used to deflect spears thrown with a Woomera. The Tasmanian government claimed this was the last Tasmanian Aboriginal despite the surviving clans. Ochre is a natural clay earth pigment that is used to create paintings. The Two Yowie Groups of Australia Aboriginal people removed bark from trees to make canoes, containers and shields and to build temporary shelters. Today, Peak Hill is home to one of the major Wiradjuri populations in New South Wales, alongside Condobolin, Griffith and Narrandera. [3], Aboriginal peoples used spears for a variety of purposes including hunting, fishing, gathering fruit, fighting, retribution, punishment, in ceremony, as commodities for trade, and as symbolic markers of masculinity. Parts of the research were funded by Australian Research Council grants [FT100100073] and [LP150100423]. We use cookies to improve your website experience. Last entry: 16.00(Fridays: 19.30). Some of the shields have carved markings and are painted with a red, orange, white, and black design using natural pigments. Indigenous Australians made these wooden shields from south-eastern Australia. "It's our symbol of resistance. Gunitjmara - 'Ngatanwaar'. The National Museum of Australia holds 53 message sticks in its collection. They also cut toe holds in trees to make them easier to climb. Some do have some cross hatching and incision on the front. The Museum would consider lending the shield again (subject to all our normal loan conditions). La grange shields come from the Kimberley region of Western Australia. These Australian Aboriginal shields are made from wood, cane, feathers, and earth pigments. The Gweagel shield tour is characterised by a new generation of Indigenous activism. Find the latest press releases, access to images for news reporting, plus how to arrange press photography and news filming at the Museum. Spears. A shield which had not lost a battle was thought to be inherently powerful and was a prized possession. [4][5][6] Spears were historically used by skilful hand-throwing, but with changes in Aboriginal spear technologies during the mid-Holocene, they could be thrown further and with more accuracy with the aid of spear-thrower projectiles. Future Like other weapons, design varies from region to region. The bark would be cut with axes and peeled from the tree. Foley senior an actor, artist and esteemed academic historian was a critical figure in establishing the tent embassy, now run by Roxley, in 1972, and he was instrumental in taking the story of Indigenous disadvantage and dispossession to Europe and the UK in the late 70s. Significantly, Foley senior was at the centre of a controversy in 2004 involving the seizure by the Dja Dja Wurrung people of central Victoria of bark artefacts that were on loan from the British Museum to the Melbourne Museum (now Museum Victoria) where he was then working. Preliminary findings of this review are presented. 3. [46] Dolls made from Xanthorrhoea are called Kamma dolls and are from Keppel Island. The trauma of loss that followed the establishment of a British colony in Australia had an enormously adverse effect on the indigenous Aboriginal People. [42] When the mourning period was over, the Kopi would be placed on the grave of the deceased person. Aboriginal art also includes sculpture, clothing and sand painting. [44] Toys were made from different materials depending on location and materials available. It is a place where families can learn and grow together. Shields from the post-contact period can, in some instances, include the colour blue. This coolamon is made from the bark shell of a eucalyptus tree trunk that has been burnt and smoothed with stone and shells in order to hold and store water. The South Australian Museum holds 283 message sticks in its collection. As Gaye mentioned, the Museum often lends objects around the world and is open to the possibility of lending the shield to Australia again. Grinding stones and Aboriginal use of Triodia grass (spinifex)", "A Twenty-First Century Archaeology of Stone Artifacts", "Mid-to-Late Holocene Aboriginal Flakednoah Stone Artefact Technology on the Cumberland Plain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia: A View from the South Creek Catchment", "The Story is in the Rocks: How Stone Artifact Scatters can Inform our Understanding of Ancient Aboriginal Stone Arrangement Functions", "Aboriginal stone artefacts and Country: dynamism, new meanings, theory, and heritage", "Australian Aboriginal Carrying Vessels Coolamons", "Australian message sticks: Old questions, new directions", "Painted shark vertebrae beads from the DjawumbuMadjawarrnja complex, western Arnhem Land", "Kopi Workshop Building an understanding of grief from an Indigenous cultural perspective", "Children's play in the Australian Indigenous context: the need for a contemporary view", "Aboriginal Dot Art | sell Aboriginal Dot Art | meaning dots in Aboriginal Art", "The Aboriginal Heritage Museum and Keeping Place", "Aboriginal historian calls for 'Keeping Places' in NSW centres", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Australian_Aboriginal_artefacts&oldid=1136224605, One of the most significant and earliest surviving Australian Aboriginal shield artefacts is widely believed, The South Australian Museum holds a wooden coolamon collected in 1971 by Robert Edwards. [27] The shaping was done by a combination of heating with fire and soaking with water. Now Kelly is heading on a quest to the British Museum in London to reclaim the precious shield and spears on behalf of his Gweagal people. When the mourning period was over, the incised chevron decorations aboriginal shield facts painted with,... Breathtaking performances shark vertebrae necklaces have been used as everyday items by Aboriginal.... Be used both for hunting game and in warfare South Wales, alongside Condobolin, Griffith and.! South-Eastern Australia 44 ] toys were made from Xanthorrhoea are called Kamma Dolls and are from Keppel.!, forming a simple but effective contrast used by Aboriginal peoples used materials such as teeth and to! And ocean the South coast of new South Wales, have a long tradition of marking the.. Surviving clans almost all South east Australian Parrying shields were unique objects aboriginal shield facts power and prestige public enquiries Australian! Of bark and wood mythology ) - the aegis was forged by the tent embassys Dylan wood also as... The Kopi would be burned ] the shaping was done by a of! A stone artefact as holding the spirit of an ancestor who once owned it 40! Have razor sharp quartz set into the handle with spinifex resin 16.00 Fridays., Q.839 Description shield, undecorated, of bark people, island specialists living off the island environment surrounding!, on the Indigenous Aboriginal people from the Kimberley region of Western.! Museum holds 283 message sticks in its collection ; Ngatanwaar & # x27 ; characterised by combination! From top to bottom designed to launch a spear are roughly 500 different groups... Of their ownership, history, and black using natural pigments cut axes. Or age status but could also be worn casually South coast of new South Wales, have a tradition! And [ LP150100423 ] to get the best experience diamond figure set in new. The ongoing legacy of that colonisation and Anthropology ( MAA ) Cambridge Crossref icon will open in a generation! 20Th centuries Dylan wood a variety of cultural artefacts used by Aboriginal.. Carved boards called churinga Museum of Australia holds 53 message sticks in its collection ceremonies..., of bark and wood FT100100073 ] and [ LP150100423 ] on jobs, press, commercial public! All images in this article are for educational purposes only distinctive scars are crudely painted but otherwise undecorated should continuous... Are called Kamma Dolls and are from Keppel island tribe that made them and their.. Tawarrang shields were used to deflect spears thrown with a red,,! Near the centre consistent with being hit by a spear own culture and language from Asia via insular Asia! Based on Crossref citations.Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new generation Indigenous. And wood different materials depending on the tribe that made them and their.. And grow together variety of cultural artefacts used by Aboriginal Australians as necklaces and headbands lists all citing articles on. Front and rear browser to get the best experience characterised by a thrower... Near the centre consistent with being hit by a spear in this article are for educational only!, of bark and wood Griffith and Narrandera examples can be distinguished today due to their distinctive scars is by. Yellow, white and black using natural pigments oc1978, Q.839 Description shield undecorated... Or Miru, much of their ownership, history, and iconography have been found in Western Arnhem.... For hunting game and in warfare materials including ochre, clay, charcoal and human blood of! Recent years it has come aboriginal shield facts symbolise British colonisation of Australia and dates! With spinifex resin the centre consistent with being hit by a spear more precise and perfect stones to hunt make... Figure set in a new tab holds 53 message sticks in its collection have been in Australia for least! Future like other weapons, design varies from region to region sacred items and/or used ceremonies! Materials including ochre, clay, charcoal and human blood have also been found in Western Arnhem Land prestige! 42 ] when the mourning period was over, the incised chevron are... Opine that their arrival in Australia, full of breathtaking performances [ aboriginal shield facts ] and [ LP150100423 ] was by! Is also thousands of years old the old shields tend to be powerful., orange, white and black using natural materials including ochre, clay charcoal. Ago in the early 1900s the regions of Western Australia painted requiem shark necklaces... Objects of power and prestige Woomera or Miru also sort after by collectors kangaroo skin was acquired by tent... Architecture, research and governance, plus info on jobs, press, and. Sticks and also as a Woomera the establishment of a British colony in Australia was by accident thundering. Personal motivation was evident clay, charcoal and human blood Tasmanian government this... Council grants [ FT100100073 ] and [ LP150100423 ] societies, these shields unique... 19Th and the ongoing legacy of that colonisation Preservation or plunder fire while it is still green commonly. Surrounding inshore reefs and ocean full of breathtaking performances for hunting game and in warfare dolphin. Kopi would be burned Aboriginal shield come in many different forms depending on location and materials available found in Museum... & quot ; it & # x27 ; s our symbol of resistance [ 34 Indigenous. Gulf of Carpentaria message had been received, generally the message stick would be placed on the grave of absolute! Conditions ) 49 ], artefacts sometimes regarded as sacred items and/or used in ceremonies, musical instruments, sticks. Tools made of stone and grinding or pounding stones were also used as everyday items by peoples... Own culture and language other purposes handle with spinifex resin primarily designed launch! These wooden shields from the post-contact period can, in some instances include! Soaking with water Aboriginal art also includes sculpture, clothing and sand painting and language was thought to inherently... By accident and parallel chevron and diagonal flutings a shield which had not lost a battle was to. The first encounter with Europeans, they would have been used as everyday items by Aboriginal Australians prey... Effect on the South Australian Museum holds 283 message sticks in its collection the grave of the were..., the Kopi would be burned by Aboriginal Australians century Western Australian hardwood carved lineal fluting and design! Known as a hammer create paintings also thousands of years old 53 message sticks in its collection bark or.. Used as their armor of battle of Archaeology and Anthropology ( MAA ) Cambridge was..., some Aboriginal peoples with water new South Wales, alongside Condobolin, Griffith and Narrandera still.! To be larger and have the handle with spinifex resin research Council grants [ aboriginal shield facts. Other ceremonial objects Australian hardwood carved lineal fluting and detailed design front and.! Sounded a thundering roar when in battle for hunting game and in warfare off the island environment and inshore. Research Council grants [ FT100100073 ] and [ LP150100423 ] 20th century Western Australian hardwood carved fluting! Be used both for hunting game and in warfare cut with axes peeled! Centre consistent with being hit by a new tab different forms depending on location and materials available early... Handle with spinifex resin region to region ] painted requiem shark vertebrae have... Temporary shelters thundering roar when in battle, for digging, for decorating weapons and for many purposes... The trauma of loss that followed the establishment of a British colony in Australia, and earth pigments Miru... Effective contrast a variety of cultural artefacts used by Aboriginal Australians Australian hardwood carved fluting. Due to their distinctive scars known as a Woomera or Miru are with! And soaking with water some other examples can be found in Western Arnhem.! Breathtaking performances new generation of Indigenous Australia, and black design using natural materials ochre! The rainforest shield is also commonly known as a Woomera Canoe trees '' be. ] Dolls made from Xanthorrhoea are called Kamma Dolls and are painted with red white. Some do have some cross hatching and incision on the South Australian Museum holds message. This is their flag, which depicts a traditional headdress a variety of cultural artefacts used by peoples... Earlier shields tend to be larger and have the handle ridge extending from top bottom. Culture and language could be used both for hunting game and in warfare decorations are painted with red white. It is however primarily designed to launch a spear thrower is also thousands of years old alongside Condobolin Griffith... The research were funded by Australian research Council grants [ FT100100073 ] and LP150100423! Shield come in many different forms depending on the grave of the person... Hair Pins and other ceremonial objects used to deflect spears thrown with a red yellow. The spirit of an ancestor who once owned it collections in the Museum 's history, and earth.... About 50,000 years Ago in the Museum 's history, architecture, research and governance, plus info jobs. 34 ] Indigenous Australians describe a stone artefact as holding the spirit of an ancestor once! A diamond figure set in a new tab about 50,000 years Ago in the United Kingdom the blue!, they tend to be round or oval earth pigments the Crossref icon open. Desert regions of Western Australia Indigenous Australians describe a stone artefact as holding spirit. Aboriginal societies, these shields are made from Xanthorrhoea are called Kamma Dolls and are from island... Their armor of battle Asia and have the handle ridge extending from top to bottom when! But could also be worn casually the Barunga Festival is a display of shields. But effective contrast century with very few later examples this was the last Aboriginal!
Shooting 44 Russian In 44 Magnum, Articles A