Elders: Wisdom from Australia's Indigenous Leaders - Softcover

Mcconchie, Peter

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521539242 ISBN 13: 9780521539241

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2003

Synopsis

This is an important book, whose content is unlike any other. It is about indigenous peoples and their traditional and contemporary ways of living. Elders is a series of chapters authored by tribal elders from around Australia. Each chapter describes an important aspect of contemporary tribal life, and the elder speaks on behalf of his or her tribe - explaining what rituals they hold to, what understandings of the world they have. They talk about subjects such as The Land, The Sea, Spirit, Law, Family, Healing, Ceremony, Song, and Hunting. Peter McConchie has travelled to the far corners of the continent to listen and record what elders have to say. They speak simply and movingly, and visually stunning photography supports their words. Elders is a book to appeal to the widest possible audience. It is the most representative account of Aboriginal people's lives, culture and beliefs in book form.

About this title

Review

'Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are of the Land and Sea. We fit into it, we are shaped by it. Our teaching comes from the Earth itself, by knowing the Mangrove, how deep its story, or the Eucalypt tree, where does it go down to, what level. Knowing the earth is the centre of our wisdom. Among us there have been no written laws; our traditions are passed down through the spoken word from one generation to the next. Unity, not division, sharing rather than hoarding is our way. So now, we write to you in your language with our timeless wisdom. Learn from us, as we have had to learn from you.' Mandawuy Yunupingu

'With a wonderful book like this, one wishes that it could be a thousand pages long and that Elders from every nation and every clan within Australia and the Torres Strait Islands could be listened to and their knowledge made available to all. To the Elders not included, an apology is made. Within this book there are seventeen Elders who speak for their country. In doing so they speak about a universal knowledge that connects us and belongs to us all. These pages contain the true voice of the land and the sea.' Lowitja O'Donoghue

Book Description

This is an important book, whose content is unlike any other. It is about indigenous peoples and their traditional and contemporary ways of living. Elders is a series of chapters authored by tribal elders from around Australia. They speak simply and movingly, and the visually stunning photography supports their words.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0521539242
• ISBN 13: 9780521539241
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 126