Cirrus@Austlit

'In Nyungar Country, in the south-west corner of Western Australia, reconciliation has taken a significant step forward as the whole community experiences the healing effect of the Carrolup artworks - a collection of 122 drawings and paintings created in the late 1940s by Aboriginal children who had been forcibly removed from their families and housed in harsh conditions at the Carrolup Native Settlement in the south-west of Western Australia. The artworks were lost for many years and then discovered and returned to Western Australia in 2013. With a Nyungar language title, koolark koort koorliny, which means 'heart coming home', the collection has commenced a series of tours and exhibitions throughout Nyungar Country. It has become evident that people are eager to engage with the exhibitions and that they provide the means by which the stories of the children, known as the Stolen Generations, can be shared with the wider community. They demonstrate the healing effect of that storytelling and are a source of pride for the Aboriginal community. The paintings celebrate traditional Nyungar culture and a unique Nyungar style of art. This paper discusses the artworks' healing impact on the individuals who have experienced the trauma of removal from their families, and their power to bring black and white communities together in the spirit of reconciliation.' (Publication abstract) 

'Albert Namatjira gained public acclaim for his art at a time when Aboriginal people were excluded from full citizenship in Australia. His narrative provides a context to analyse the human impact of the assimilation policy and the official control exercised over Aboriginal lives, and how these were rationalised within the institutional bureaucracy. This paper examines the reasons for his popular success and analyses the discourse to reveal the racist assumptions that underpinned much of the artistic criticism Namatjira's work received. This paper demonstrates that the legacy of control and exploitation over Aboriginal artists from the Hermannsburg School is not confined to the past, and concludes that Namatjira's own legacy is profoundly important for the identity of modern Australia.'  (Publication abstract)

'In this book Lizzie Marrkilyi Ellis recounts her life as a Ngaatjatjarra woman, born in the Western Desert around the time of first contact with white Australians in the region. Her lifelong narrative spans her childhood in desert communities and education on missions, reserves and in Alice Springs and her career as an educator in Aboriginal communities and as a sought-after interpreter for government departments, politicians and the courts.' (Introduction)

'Historian Alison Holland charts the life and work of activist Mary Bennett and her long quest to improve the condition of Aboriginal people. Bennett was one of the leading advocates for Indigenous rights both at home and on the international stage during the twentieth century. Holland also uses the arc of Bennett’s life story to explore the development of a broader humanitarian discourse that sought to highlight the plight of Indigenous peoples in Australia.' (Introduction)

'Traditional healers of Central Australia: Ngangkari is a rich and diverse collection of Ngangkari stories that builds on the previous text, Ngangkari work — Anangu way, which is now out of print. The text contains stories, similes and symbols of Anangu cultural beliefs and ways of life, and the sophisticated translations from Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara and Ngaanyatjarra by the translation team must be noted.'  (Introduction)