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MrWormwood

Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe

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Dark Emu 
by Bruce Pascoe 

 
An excellent work that targets the long taught belief that Aboriginal culture is essentially nomadic and as such lacked any understandings of agriculture or of animal farming. Highlights include an argument for a vast inland native grain belt that was actually more extensive than Australia's current grain belt, as well as perhaps the most comprehensive current account of the sophisticated fish traps that were constructed leading us to newly appreciate the extent of the proficient Aquaculture techniques that the Aboriginals possessed. Most importantly,  Pascoe's book led me to consider what would happen if the image of the witchetty grub, which is undoubtedly the image that most quickly comes to mind when the average Australian is asked about traditional aboriginal foods, what would happen if we took that image, so bizarre and alien and grotesque when you truly consider it, and replaced it with an image of fields of native millet or barely grass, interspersed with carefully tended mounds of yams, or with fresh fish and eels cooking on an open fire? 
Edited by MrWormwood
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Yeah I remember in the first little bit he was talking about canals and fishtraps and that. Very interesting, but suprisingly unsuprising, if you know what I mean. :huh:

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