Indigenous Australia for Dummies

Abstract

It is unfortunate that people often do judge books by their covers (and in this case, title). What this book represents, however, is not content that is ‘dumbed down’ but reflects an elegantly simple overview of a complex subject that is often treated as a ‘deep dark secret’ and is reflective of the authors profound knowledge and intuitive understanding of a wide range of Indigenous cultures and peoples that make up this continent. It makes a great introduction for the many people who share the continent with its Indigenous inhabitants but know very little about its first peoples. In the past this ignorance was possibly linked to neglect, but today often what is worse is that what non-Indigenous people ‘know’ in this regard can be more accurately characterised as misinformation or reductionist stereotypes that are often ‘way off’ the mark.