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Why Warriors lie down and die Book Reviews Insights: Why Warriors Lie Down and DieReviewed by Christine Cargill [NSW Uniting Church, December 2000, p.36] As I began reading Why Warriors Lie Down and Die and worked my way through the first chapters which tell the story of white settlement from the experience of the Yolngu people in Arnhem Land, I wondered whether the grief of reading was worth it. Could I bear to read the entire book and be confronted by my innate racism, and have my understanding challenged? I have kept reading and the insights are like few that have been offered to help us understand the complexity of life in Arnhem Land and its implications for policy, projects and people throughout Australia. Richard Trudgen, through the use of stories, history and critique, provides an overview of the impact of colonisation on the Yolngu people, and lessons that should be learned from this experience. Most importantly, however, Trudgen outlines the complexity of the dysfunction that has been created as a result of transitions from Yolngu community to mission, to government and now to self-determination. He challenges the use of western concepts and languages to describe the pain, which is now a disease in Arnhem Land and throughout many indigenous communities where well-meaning assumptions about language and culture have been made without adequate support. The most common image used in the book is that of the weakness of traditional western medicine in an environment where language and cultural taboos are often not realised. The failure of self-determination to present real outcomes for Yolngu people stands at the heart of the challenges that Trudgen presents. The challenge and gift of this book is that it identifies ways for us to move forward. It highlights the importance of adequate bilingual communication. It confirms the need for cultural sensitivity and it asks the church and the community to consider the way change and policy are implemented. Most importantly, it challenges the western need to speak and solve, and invites a time of listening and true understanding from a Yolngu framework of development and community. This is a valuable book to anyone who wants positive and lasting change in Australia – where all Australians might have control of their own lives. It is a powerful and landmark book about our relationship with Yolngu people and the delivery of education and medical service in Arnhem Land.
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$29.95 AUD |
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