Ngarrindjeri Wurruwarrin: A World That Is, Was and Will Be (Paperback)

~ (Author) "When we weave with the rushes, the memories of our loved ones are there, moulded into each stitch..." (more)
Key Phrases: miwi wisdom, making feather flowers, dissident women, Pinkie Mack, Doreen Kartinyeri, Veronica Brodie (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This finely textured ethnography weaves written texts with the voices of women and men who struggle to protect their sacred sites. It provides a deeper understanding of lives profoundly affected by two centuries of colonization.

About the Author

Diane Bell

Product Details

• Paperback: 688 pages
• Publisher: Spinifex Press (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 187555971X
• ISBN-13: 978-1875559718
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,078,884 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Visit to a Remote Land, June 11, 1999

By A Customer

Ngarrindjeri Wurruwarrin takes us to a remote land, appropriately named Hindmarsh Island, below the southern edge of Australia. It informs us about the religious beliefs, customs and practices of the Ngarrindjerri tribe that is preserving its identity, in spite of the onslaught of civilization that threatens it with extinction of its culture. What is most refreshing about Diane Bell's book is the combination of oral reports, first person narratives and her own observations throughout the chapters that gives it an authenticity, an immediacy of appeal. We learn about ancient customs, practices and cultural values that are becoming evanescent in this modern world. These beliefs are recorded in detail by tribal folks and preserved intact in her book. Especially fascinating is the story told by Neville Golan of an aboriginal woman named Rosie, who died soon after her ngatji, or guardian spirit, a blue crane was shot. We are surprised to learn that even the weaving of rush baskets is as complicated as the Japanese tea drinking ceremony. There are photographs that give us an idea of the brilliant coloring, intricate designs and whole narrative patterns that go into the making of these baskets, bags and mats. While the women weave, they hand down stories to the next generation and thus preserve their ancient legacy. What one also likes about the book is the entire section devoted to women's beliefs, bodies and practices; it describes for us the rites of passage from childhood to girlhood, the attending ceremonies and rituals. The accounts of tattooing, seclusion of women during menstruation and various rites observed during childbirth, give women prominence in Australian Aboriginal Studies, that is still a small field, according to the author. The description of women's rites of passage in the closing section of the book make it very interesting reading for feminists; it opens up for them other worlds, revealing the multiplicity of feminism as a discipline. The book would be informative and readable for anyone who is not familiar with the land down under. The style, clear and free of jargon, would appeal to the general reader as well specialists on the subject.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Award Winning Book, October 19, 1999

By A Customer

"Ngarrindjeri Wurruwarrin: A world that is, was, and will be" was the winner of the 1999 NSW Premier's Literary Award in the category of literary and cultural criticism. It was also short listed for the "Age Book of the Year" Award and the "Queensland Premier's History" Award.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An award winning book., September 27, 1999

By A Customer

Just to let your readers know that Ngarrindjeri Wurruwarrin won the NSW Premier's Award for cultural and literary criticism in 1999 and was short listed for the Age Book of the Year and for the Queensland History Award in Australia.