AustLit

'This tribute volume brings together over thirty essays in honour of the influential traditional Aboriginal (Yolngu) leader David Burrumarra M.B.E. (1917-1994). These essays provide unparalleled insight into the life and works of this visionary thinker at what was a critical turning point in Australian history - the mid- to late twentieth century. Venturing deeply into the heart of the Aboriginal 'Dreaming', this book connects Burrumarra's 'totemic' philosophy and his controversial political life. The essays encompass not only the development of remote indigenous Australian communities, but also the search for Aboriginal land and sea rights, and the quest for justice and reconciliation. Of particular interest is how the Yolngu cultural heritage, so influential in determining the trajectory of intercultural relations, built upon a legacy of over 200 years of contact with 'Macassan' fishermen from Indonesia. These traders introduced both Islam and the skills of iron-making to Yolngu long before the arrival of English explorer Captain Cook in Australia in 1770.' (Publication summary)