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maxycat's review against another edition
5.0
I fucking loved this book. It totally transformed how I think about agriculture and it’s connection to culture. Australia has such a rich history and rich landscape that we just don’t know anything about. Tragically, a lot of this history and culture will be forgotten forever but Pascoe shows ways in which we can re-learn our history and use it to meet challenges of climate change and racism.
rsaun's review against another edition
5.0
This book and more importantly the history should be taught in schools and part of the federal curriculum. It is shocking that our children are taught that 'Cook' discovered Australia. In the same shocking way the US teaches it's children that 'Columbus' discover America and that UK teach nothing around it's history with the slave trade.
I found this book insightful and thought provoking, so much so that we bought our children the kids edition "Young Dark Emu"
I highly recommend this book.
I found this book insightful and thought provoking, so much so that we bought our children the kids edition "Young Dark Emu"
I highly recommend this book.
whatcourtneyreads's review against another edition
3.0
Dark Emu ruffled a few feathers (pardon the pun) when it was published a couple years back, for boldly suggesting that the whitewashed, coloniser history we were taught in school in Australia was wrong. Colour me shocked!
Pascoe explains that despite the narrative of First Nations people in Australia being primitive, hunter-gatherer types, evidence actually suggests that they used techniques resembling agriculture, such as controlled burning to allow seeds to spread and dormant plants to grow, and the farming of tubers. In addition, they sewed clothes, built dwellings, and used complex fishing contraptions. Basically, this book rewrites the idea that Aboriginal people had no skills or organisation, and were living off the land haphazardly, which was the justification for colonisation.
The content was really interesting and enlightening. However, the delivery was very dry and scholarly, and I often found myself having to rewind; it reminded me very much of the kind of text that would be prescribed at university. Potentially it’s the kind of topic that lends itself to this, but it did end up feeling like a bit of a slog despite its short length.
I’m hoping things have changed since my primary school education in the 90s, but I would love to see this content taught in schools across Australia. There is even a Young Dark Emu, which is the same book rewritten for kids, so there’s no excuse to not start ‘em young.
Pascoe explains that despite the narrative of First Nations people in Australia being primitive, hunter-gatherer types, evidence actually suggests that they used techniques resembling agriculture, such as controlled burning to allow seeds to spread and dormant plants to grow, and the farming of tubers. In addition, they sewed clothes, built dwellings, and used complex fishing contraptions. Basically, this book rewrites the idea that Aboriginal people had no skills or organisation, and were living off the land haphazardly, which was the justification for colonisation.
The content was really interesting and enlightening. However, the delivery was very dry and scholarly, and I often found myself having to rewind; it reminded me very much of the kind of text that would be prescribed at university. Potentially it’s the kind of topic that lends itself to this, but it did end up feeling like a bit of a slog despite its short length.
I’m hoping things have changed since my primary school education in the 90s, but I would love to see this content taught in schools across Australia. There is even a Young Dark Emu, which is the same book rewritten for kids, so there’s no excuse to not start ‘em young.
ryyzap's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
As someone who grew up in Australia and was taught in school about the ‘settlement’ with the Witchetty grubs rhetoric I found this book to be completely transformative, eye opening and heartbreaking.
Every single Australian citizen should have to read this.
Every single Australian citizen should have to read this.
_lish_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
pinecone60's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0