Society and Culture
Richard Baker Land is Life: From Bush to Town - the Story of the Yanyuwa People (Allen & Unwin Aus). The Yanyuwa people inhabited the Gulf of Carpentaria before the Europeans arrived, but most now live in the town of Booloola, 1600km southeast of Darwin. Historian Baker, assigned a "skin" in the Yanyuwa kinship system, gathered the people's oral history and produced this fascinating story told from the Yanyuwa point of view and time. Geoffrey Blainey Triumph of the Nomads (Macmillan UK o/p; Overlook Press US; Sun Aus). A fascinating account portraying Aboriginal people as masters and not victims of their environment. One of the best books on the subject. Frank Brennan Sharing the Country (Penguin Aus). Both lawyer and Jesuit priest, and a former Aboriginal Affairs advisor to Australia's Catholic Church, Brennan sets out his legal and social solutions for reconciliation between black and white Australians. Monica Furlong Flight of the Kingfisher: a Journey Among Kukatja Aborigines (Flamingo UK; HarperCollins Aus). Furlong lived among the Aboriginal people of the Great Sandy Desert; this is her account of Kukatja perceptions and spiritual beliefs. Roslynn Haynes Seeking the Centre: The Australian Desert in Literature, Art and Film (Cambridge UP UK, Aus). The geographical and metaphorical impact of the desert on Australian culture is explored in this illustrated book, as is the connection Aboriginal people have with the desert. David Headon North of the Ten Commandments (Hodder & Stoughton UK, Aus o/p). An anthology of Northern Territory writings from all perspectives and sources - an excellent literary souvenir for anyone who falls for the charms of Australia's "one percent" territory. Donald Horne The Lucky Country (Angus & Robertson UK o/p; Penguin Aus). Although over twenty years old, this seminal analysis of Australian society, written in 1976, has yet to be matched and is still often quoted. Paul Sheehan Among the Barbarians: the Dividing of Australia (Random House Aus). Sydney Morning Herald journalist Sheehan asserts that while Australia has achieved a brilliant social transformation in the 1990s, it runs the risk of being torn apart on race issues. While the book is certainly cleverly written, its many critics have labelled it a badly researched, preachy tract. A second edition was completely revised after the November 1998 general election.
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