Singing Saltwater Country

Journey to the songlines of Carpentaria

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Music, Theory & Criticism, Ethnomusicology, Biography & Memoir
Cover of the book Singing Saltwater Country by John Bradley, Yanyuwa Families, Allen & Unwin
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: John Bradley, Yanyuwa Families ISBN: 9781742690926
Publisher: Allen & Unwin Publication: August 1, 2010
Imprint: Allen & Unwin Language: English
Author: John Bradley, Yanyuwa Families
ISBN: 9781742690926
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Publication: August 1, 2010
Imprint: Allen & Unwin
Language: English

At twenty John Bradley was sent to teach Aboriginal children in a school at remote Borroloola, on the Gulf of Carpentaria in far north Australia.

But it is the teacher who is educated by the Yanyuwa elders and their families. Over three decades he learns their language and their country, becoming intimately drawn into other ways of being, both practical and spiritual. With passion and pride they teach him their songlines, relating what they know and value - ancestors, kin, allegiances; places, plants, animals; seasons, ceremonies, stories - and the spirit that sustains all.

As we follow John Bradley on his journey, we begin to see that the songlines are keys to the authority and continuity held by Aboriginal Law. We begin to understand why, when country can no longer be sung, the Yanyuwa feel it so deeply. And what such loss means to us all.

'A rare diary of devotion. sometimes humorous, sometimes very sad, revealing the extraordinary personal commitment needed to gain insight into Aboriginal connections to country. a moving tale of an urgent quest.' - Professor Jon Altman, Australian National University

'This book strikes chords with the work of William Stanner and Donald Thomson, while evoking the poetic resonance of Barry Lopez's writing about the Inuit.' - Dr Nonie Sharp, author of Saltwater People

'A rare book that attunes us to ways of Yanyuwa dwelling, belonging and being in an intimate relatedness that does not separate thinking from feeling, history from experience, authority from caring, solemnity from humour, and meaning from the life in which this knowledge is embedded.' - Dr Franca Tamisari, Ca' Foscari University of Venice and University of Queensland

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

At twenty John Bradley was sent to teach Aboriginal children in a school at remote Borroloola, on the Gulf of Carpentaria in far north Australia.

But it is the teacher who is educated by the Yanyuwa elders and their families. Over three decades he learns their language and their country, becoming intimately drawn into other ways of being, both practical and spiritual. With passion and pride they teach him their songlines, relating what they know and value - ancestors, kin, allegiances; places, plants, animals; seasons, ceremonies, stories - and the spirit that sustains all.

As we follow John Bradley on his journey, we begin to see that the songlines are keys to the authority and continuity held by Aboriginal Law. We begin to understand why, when country can no longer be sung, the Yanyuwa feel it so deeply. And what such loss means to us all.

'A rare diary of devotion. sometimes humorous, sometimes very sad, revealing the extraordinary personal commitment needed to gain insight into Aboriginal connections to country. a moving tale of an urgent quest.' - Professor Jon Altman, Australian National University

'This book strikes chords with the work of William Stanner and Donald Thomson, while evoking the poetic resonance of Barry Lopez's writing about the Inuit.' - Dr Nonie Sharp, author of Saltwater People

'A rare book that attunes us to ways of Yanyuwa dwelling, belonging and being in an intimate relatedness that does not separate thinking from feeling, history from experience, authority from caring, solemnity from humour, and meaning from the life in which this knowledge is embedded.' - Dr Franca Tamisari, Ca' Foscari University of Venice and University of Queensland

More books from Allen & Unwin

Cover of the book Media Relations by John Bradley, Yanyuwa Families
Cover of the book Eaten by a Giant Clam by John Bradley, Yanyuwa Families
Cover of the book Easy Eats: Barbecue by John Bradley, Yanyuwa Families
Cover of the book Infernal Triangle by John Bradley, Yanyuwa Families
Cover of the book Abandoned by John Bradley, Yanyuwa Families
Cover of the book No Stopping for Lions by John Bradley, Yanyuwa Families
Cover of the book Growth Fetish by John Bradley, Yanyuwa Families
Cover of the book Everything I know about cooking I learned from CWA by John Bradley, Yanyuwa Families
Cover of the book Winter of Grace by John Bradley, Yanyuwa Families
Cover of the book Red Dust by John Bradley, Yanyuwa Families
Cover of the book Handmade Style: Crochet by John Bradley, Yanyuwa Families
Cover of the book The Untrained Environmentalist by John Bradley, Yanyuwa Families
Cover of the book Quick & Clever Party Cakes by John Bradley, Yanyuwa Families
Cover of the book Ruby Roars by John Bradley, Yanyuwa Families
Cover of the book This is the Grass by John Bradley, Yanyuwa Families
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy