Twelve adult members of the Nairm Marr Djambana Aboriginal Cooperative in south-eastern suburban Melbourne share their stories of resilience in this anthology. Most of them were born in the 1950s and freely share their early lives, with joys and heartbreaks, in a way which will be readily identifiable by the young reader. Embedded in their stories are the legacies of government policies of child removal which resulted in what is known as the Stolen Generations. The tellers – many of whom are the same age as readers’ grandparents – are revealed to be survivors of tough and testing experiences. Some of the stories conclude with advice for young people.
Each teller gets their own chapter, and most have provided precious family photos which are reprinted in black and white. These potentially contribute to the feelings of loss and erasure expressed by some of the contributors, but at the same time help the reader to see the people and places described by them. Editor Sina Summers has clearly honoured each person’s voice as they tell their stories conversationally, as any grandparent might share memories.
Dub Leffler designed the inviting cover which features a proffered eucalypt branch, a traditional welcoming gesture among the people of the Kulin nation. These stories were collected as testimonies for progress towards a Treaty for Victoria. This State is the first in Australia to have a First People’s Assembly who have advised elected government in this process. As these stories demonstrate, mob from all over Australia have made Melbourne their home. People of Australia who identify as Aboriginal / Torres Strait Islander make up 3.2% of the population; in Victoria, it is 1%. The tellers in this book come from New South Wales, Thursday Island, Tasmania, Queensland and Victoria.
Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Resource
