Indigenous Australian literature: Difference between revisions
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[[File:David Unaipon.jpg|thumb|140px|right|[[David Unaipon]] (1872-1967), the first Aboriginal author.]] |
[[File:David Unaipon.jpg|thumb|140px|right|[[David Unaipon]] (1872-1967), the first Aboriginal author.]] |
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'''Indigenous Australian literature''' is the fiction, poems, essays and other works authored by [[Indigenous Australian]]s. |
'''Indigenous Australian literature''' is the fiction, plays, poems, essays and other works authored by [[Indigenous Australian]]s. Notable authors include [[David Unaipon]] (1872–1967), [[Oodgeroo Noonuccal]] (1920–1993), [[Sally Morgan (artist)|Sally Morgan]], [[Marcia Langton]] (''[[First Australians]]'', 2008), [[Noel Pearson]], [[Jack Davis (playwright)|Jack Davis]], [[Kevin Gilbert (author)|Kevin Gilbert]], [[Kim Scott]], [[Alexis Wright]], [[Kate Howarth (writer)|Kate Howarth]], [[Tara June Winch]], [[Yvette Holt]] and [[Anita Heiss]]. |
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==History== |
==History== |
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At the point of the first colonization, [[Indigenous Australians]] had not developed a system of writing, so the first literary accounts of Aborigines come from the journals of early European explorers, which contain descriptions of first contact, both violent and friendly.<ref>{{cite book|last=Genoni|first=Paul|title=Subverting the Empire: Explorers and Exploration in Australian Fiction|year=2004|publisher=Common Ground|location=Altona, VIC}}</ref> Early accounts by Dutch explorers and by the English buccaneer [[William Dampier]] wrote of the "natives of [[New Holland (Australia)|New Holland]]" as being "barbarous savages", but by the time of Captain [[James Cook]] and [[First Fleet]] marine [[Watkin Tench]] (the era of [[Jean-Jacques Rousseau]]), accounts of Aborigines were more sympathetic and romantic: "these people may truly be said to be in the pure [[state of nature]], and may appear to some to be the most wretched upon the earth; but in reality they are far happier than ... we Europeans", wrote Cook in his journal on 23 August 1770.<ref>{{cite book|last=Cook|first=James|title=The Journal of HMS Endeavour, 1768-1771|year=1977|publisher=Genesis|location=Surrey, England|isbn=0904351025}}</ref> |
At the point of the first colonization, [[Indigenous Australians]] had not developed a system of writing, so the first literary accounts of Aborigines come from the journals of early European explorers, which contain descriptions of first contact, both violent and friendly.<ref>{{cite book|last=Genoni|first=Paul|title=Subverting the Empire: Explorers and Exploration in Australian Fiction|year=2004|publisher=Common Ground|location=Altona, VIC}}</ref> Early accounts by Dutch explorers and by the English buccaneer [[William Dampier]] wrote of the "natives of [[New Holland (Australia)|New Holland]]" as being "barbarous savages", but by the time of Captain [[James Cook]] and [[First Fleet]] marine [[Watkin Tench]] (the era of [[Jean-Jacques Rousseau]]), accounts of Aborigines were more sympathetic and romantic: "these people may truly be said to be in the pure [[state of nature]], and may appear to some to be the most wretched upon the earth; but in reality they are far happier than ... we Europeans", wrote Cook in his journal on 23 August 1770.<ref>{{cite book|last=Cook|first=James|title=The Journal of HMS Endeavour, 1768-1771|year=1977|publisher=Genesis|location=Surrey, England|isbn=0904351025}}</ref> |
Revision as of 13:41, 26 December 2017
![]() | This article is written like a personal reflection, personal essay, or argumentative essay that states a Wikipedia editor's personal feelings or presents an original argument about a topic. (December 2017) |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/David_Unaipon.jpg/140px-David_Unaipon.jpg)
Indigenous Australian literature is the fiction, plays, poems, essays and other works authored by Indigenous Australians. Notable authors include David Unaipon (1872–1967), Oodgeroo Noonuccal (1920–1993), Sally Morgan, Marcia Langton (First Australians, 2008), Noel Pearson, Jack Davis, Kevin Gilbert, Kim Scott, Alexis Wright, Kate Howarth, Tara June Winch, Yvette Holt and Anita Heiss.
History
At the point of the first colonization, Indigenous Australians had not developed a system of writing, so the first literary accounts of Aborigines come from the journals of early European explorers, which contain descriptions of first contact, both violent and friendly.[1] Early accounts by Dutch explorers and by the English buccaneer William Dampier wrote of the "natives of New Holland" as being "barbarous savages", but by the time of Captain James Cook and First Fleet marine Watkin Tench (the era of Jean-Jacques Rousseau), accounts of Aborigines were more sympathetic and romantic: "these people may truly be said to be in the pure state of nature, and may appear to some to be the most wretched upon the earth; but in reality they are far happier than ... we Europeans", wrote Cook in his journal on 23 August 1770.[2]
While his father, James Unaipon (c.1835-1907), contributed to accounts of Aboriginal mythology written by the missionary George Taplin,[3] David Unaipon (1872–1967) provided the first accounts of Aboriginal mythology written by an Aboriginal: Legendary Tales of the Aborigines. For this he is known as the first Aboriginal author. Oodgeroo Noonuccal (1920–1993) was a famous Aboriginal poet, writer and rights activist credited with publishing the first Aboriginal book of verse: We Are Going (1964).[4] Sally Morgan's novel My Place was considered a breakthrough memoir in terms of bringing indigenous stories to wider notice. Leading Aboriginal activists Marcia Langton (First Australians, 2008) and Noel Pearson (Up from the Mission, 2009) are active contemporary contributors to Australian literature.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/Noel_Pearson_8Feb10.jpg/140px-Noel_Pearson_8Feb10.jpg)
The voices of Indigenous Australians are being increasingly noticed and include the playwright Jack Davis and Kevin Gilbert. Writers coming to prominence in the 21st century include Kim Scott, Alexis Wright, Kate Howarth, Tara June Winch, Yvette Holt and Anita Heiss. Indigenous authors who have won Australia's high prestige Miles Franklin Award include Kim Scott who was joint winner (with Thea Astley) in 2000 for Benang and again in 2011 for That Deadman Dance. Alexis Wright won the award in 2007 for her novel Carpentaria.
Letters written by notable Aboriginals leaders like Bennelong and Sir Douglas Nicholls are also retained as treasures of Australian literature, as is the historic Yirrkala bark petitions of 1963 which is the first traditional Aboriginal document recognised by the Australian Parliament.[5] AustLit's BlackWords project provides a comprehensive listing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Writers and Storytellers.
References
- ^ Genoni, Paul (2004). Subverting the Empire: Explorers and Exploration in Australian Fiction. Altona, VIC: Common Ground.
- ^ Cook, James (1977). The Journal of HMS Endeavour, 1768-1771. Surrey, England: Genesis. ISBN 0904351025.
- ^ Jenkin, Graham (1979). Conquest of the Ngarrindjeri. Adelaide: Rigby.
- ^ Template:En icon "Modern Australian poetry". Ministère de la culture.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 1 June 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-02.
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