iDIDJ Australia Didgeridoo Cultural Hub

"Toward an understanding of why the Aboriginal people of Arnhem Land face the greatest crisis in health and education since European contact. "

Has anyone red this book?
I've got it couple of weeks ago. I cannot find any words...it's amazing, startling, shocking...
The writter is one of the bests I've ever red in English language...I can feel all the words. I mean sometimes it can be difficult to catch the meaning behind the lines and understand the point - mostly if you are not a native speaker. But it is one of the main things that Richard Trudgen wants to say.

This book is a real breakthrough in my life!

I've read it! The book does have a big impact on the reader, impressive!

Merrill

Hey John,

It has been a while since I read this. If I remember one thing correctly, at the time of reading I questioned this whole "mystification" thing. Sure, a lot of people - black, white and every other colours - don't know how things really work in this world of ours. When white people are sick, they take tablets given to them by their doctor, but few would understand how these medicines work at a molecular level. Most of us here don't really know how the economy really works either, or how banking works. I know that if I have money in my bank account, if I put my bank card into an ATM, I can withdraw cash, that's about all I need or want to know really.

If my memory serves me correctly, this whole business of "mystification" pervades the book and is one of the key reasons advanced by Trudgen as to "Why Warriors Lie Down and Die". Yet I know quite a few Yolngu people who know more about the Western world than I do! Perhaps Yolngu people are telling Trudgen that Yolngu people are stupid, sometimes we get the answers we are looking for and Yolngu seem to be able to tap into our minds and feed us what we want to hear.

As to my answer "Why Warriors Lie Down and Die?". There isn't one reason or 1 unifying theme, but lots of complex issues at play. I don't think I'm old enough or experienced enough to say I have the answers.

Guan

hi Guan,

You have right! It could be hard to say anyone knows the answers. I'm thinking about is there any answer?
And you have right again, this whole issue is too complex to conclude it.
In my opinion the mystification is one of the worst thing nowadays. One of the parts of it is that we see the world on the way as we would like to look at it. This is a trick of our mind. Trudgen do the same, I'm sure!

But may be difference among these unknown things - I don't know how the word is working around me (the banking system, the tablets and so on...) - neither my father and grandfater knew - but my culture is familiar with these things. Other thing, if somebody who has a different cultural base get in contact with these things. According to Trudgen it could cause cultural shock and lots of problems. He has right!
The book in my hands have been released in 2007 - it's the 7th printing, the first edition was in 2000. Is it possible that it needs to be updated? I mean lots of things are changing, sometimes very quickly.

Also, he has lots of clear vision. As I've written above, I could catch that he says about the language issue.

Anyway, there are lots of things we have to think about. I'm interested in Yolngu culture, it's about all my freetime. As I see now, I must learn very lot to know a little part of it. After your post Guan, I must realize again, one thing is read books, another thing is see the real life.

John

Hi John,

I don't mean to say that I don't like the book or that is it wrong, but I do think it is very brave to say that one has the answers.

As for "mystification", we don't really need to know how the world works down to the atomic level, we just need to know how to live with the world. It is clear that we need to adapt to new things, for example, older people no matter what colour have some problems with new technologies like the internet, computers, home theatre sound systems etc. Same thing with Yolngu. But in my experience, Yolngu are fantastic in their uptake of new things especially when it comes to technological things. The first time I learnt about Bluetooth (ok, I've heard a lot about Bluetooth but didn't really know what it did and never touched it) was from Yolngu friends who transferred songs to my mobile phone! Yolngu tell me things about the history of explosives and gun powder which I don't even know (that would be Yambal, he probably told you too Bita!).

I would recommend "Why Warriors" as a book to read, but I would also ask the reader to keep an open mind and to question the underlying logic and argument of the book.

Guan

Hi Guan,

That's all right, I understand how you mean. I must realize I don't have enough experience with Yolngu people to have an opinion about the issue which this book dealing with.
I keep an open mind - yes, this is the most important...

Thanks Guan!
John