Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe

The second in our non fiction group’s series was also disappointing. We all felt that Pascoe’s subject could have been presented in a much more succinct way. Having completed an undergraduate degree majoring in anthropology and had some experience working with Indigenous people, nothing in this book really surprised me. It all made so much sense. The development process of Indigenous culture is not dissimilar to many cultures around the world and it was no surprise that Indigenous peoples farmed land, managed animal stocks, saved seed, created art, travelled widely for ceremonial gatherings and so forth. Of course there were many details that we didn’t know – that Aboriginal people built stone dwellings in alpine regions, for example. I was especially interested in the records that the early white explorers kept, in which they observed the agricultural practices of the Aborigines. Of course, once settlers marauded across the land with their destructive farming practices, all that evidence was wiped out. I also found the sections about governance very interesting. But there was also a lot of unsubstantiated opinion in this book – what white settlers were thinking when they made certain decisions, for example. Unless Pascoe had access to records of these people’s thoughts, then it’s not wise to make assertions. We can imagine, but we can’t claim anything as fact without some sort of evidence. Having said all that, it’s a worthwhile book to read and different people will learn different things from it.