What’s your opinion on David Unaipon, the man on the $50 note.

I’ve been given a book by him for Xmas. And immediately thought “fantastic, a definitive book on the Australian aboriginal by an Australian aboriginal, back in the 1920s. Nothing could possibly be better.”

But I’m struggling to read it. He writes as a fundamentalist Christian and writes everything about aboriginal culture from a fundamentalist Christian perspective. I know this shouldn’t bother me, but it does.

Any comments?

mollwollfumble said:

What’s your opinion on David Unaipon, the man on the $50 note.

I’ve been given a book by him for Xmas. And immediately thought “fantastic, a definitive book on the Australian aboriginal by an Australian aboriginal, back in the 1920s. Nothing could possibly be better.”

But I’m struggling to read it. He writes as a fundamentalist Christian and writes everything about aboriginal culture from a fundamentalist Christian perspective. I know this shouldn’t bother me, but it does.

Any comments?

It’s a strange viewpoint considering the damage religion has done and does do to native culture

I’d need to read it to comment.

Title?

Cymek said:

mollwollfumble said:

What’s your opinion on David Unaipon, the man on the $50 note.

I’ve been given a book by him for Xmas. And immediately thought “fantastic, a definitive book on the Australian aboriginal by an Australian aboriginal, back in the 1920s. Nothing could possibly be better.”

But I’m struggling to read it. He writes as a fundamentalist Christian and writes everything about aboriginal culture from a fundamentalist Christian perspective. I know this shouldn’t bother me, but it does.

Any comments?

It’s a strange viewpoint considering the damage religion has done and does do to native culture

I see he was a preacher, they can have weird views on things regardless of background, tainted by the god stuff

mollwollfumble said:

What’s your opinion on David Unaipon, the man on the $50 note.

I’ve been given a book by him for Xmas. And immediately thought “fantastic, a definitive book on the Australian aboriginal by an Australian aboriginal, back in the 1920s. Nothing could possibly be better.”

But I’m struggling to read it. He writes as a fundamentalist Christian and writes everything about aboriginal culture from a fundamentalist Christian perspective. I know this shouldn’t bother me, but it does.

Any comments?

The dumbdamental Christians got in the way of his genius? It is an old and legendary tale.

Wikipedia, hey
Looking at his page and he was a believer in perpetual motion machines and now reading that and other related areas.

Cymek said:

Wikipedia, hey
Looking at his page and he was a believer in perpetual motion machines and now reading that and other related areas.

back in his day, perpetual morion was the philosophers stone.

roughbarked said:

Cymek said:

Wikipedia, hey
Looking at his page and he was a believer in perpetual motion machines and now reading that and other related areas.

back in his day, perpetual morion was the philosophers stone.

:) morion.. it sorta works.. but motion was what I intended to type.

welcome to literary criticism

roughbarked said:

Cymek said:

Wikipedia, hey
Looking at his page and he was a believer in perpetual motion machines and now reading that and other related areas.

back in his day, perpetual morion was the philosophers stone.

well fair enough we suppose verbal diarrhoea really is a thing among stoned philosophers

SCIENCE said:

roughbarked said:

Cymek said:

Wikipedia, hey
Looking at his page and he was a believer in perpetual motion machines and now reading that and other related areas.

back in his day, perpetual morion was the philosophers stone.

well fair enough we suppose verbal diarrhoea really is a thing among stoned philosophers

Wanna toke?

dv said:

I’d need to read it to comment.

Title?

Legendary tales of the Australian aboriginals

mollwollfumble said:

dv said:

I’d need to read it to comment.

Title?

Legendary tales of the Australian aboriginals

I’ll give it a squiz.

All I can say is that he was a very religious man in an idiosyncratic way and if that troubles you then you’d have to find a way to “read past” that aspect or just put the book down.

dv said:

mollwollfumble said:

dv said:

I’d need to read it to comment.

Title?

Legendary tales of the Australian aboriginals

I’ll give it a squiz.

All I can say is that he was a very religious man in an idiosyncratic way and if that troubles you then you’d have to find a way to “read past” that aspect or just put the book down.

He’s a nut! He’s crazy in the coconut!
What does that mean? That boy needs therapy!

captain_spalding said:

dv said:

mollwollfumble said:

Legendary tales of the Australian aboriginals

I’ll give it a squiz.

All I can say is that he was a very religious man in an idiosyncratic way and if that troubles you then you’d have to find a way to “read past” that aspect or just put the book down.

He’s a nut! He’s crazy in the coconut!
What does that mean? That boy needs therapy!

Was religion used on Aboriginal people to repress or convince them the way they were treated was OK as you’ll get a better deal when you are dead.

Cymek said:

captain_spalding said:

dv said:

I’ll give it a squiz.

All I can say is that he was a very religious man in an idiosyncratic way and if that troubles you then you’d have to find a way to “read past” that aspect or just put the book down.

He’s a nut! He’s crazy in the coconut!
What does that mean? That boy needs therapy!

Was religion used on Aboriginal people to repress or convince them the way they were treated was OK as you’ll get a better deal when you are dead.

I mean indigenous people are very spiritual anyway… they believe in spirits and spend time ritualising.. so it’s not a huge step. My Guess is that Unaipon found a way to communicate with the invaders that they would understand and maybe got a bit too into it? But he ended up on the note, so he did something ‘right’

Arts said:

Cymek said:

captain_spalding said:

He’s a nut! He’s crazy in the coconut!
What does that mean? That boy needs therapy!

Was religion used on Aboriginal people to repress or convince them the way they were treated was OK as you’ll get a better deal when you are dead.

I mean indigenous people are very spiritual anyway… they believe in spirits and spend time ritualising.. so it’s not a huge step. My Guess is that Unaipon found a way to communicate with the invaders that they would understand and maybe got a bit too into it? But he ended up on the note, so he did something ‘right’

The time of David Unaipon was also the time of the Aboriginal Protection Board that had complete control over Aborigines of where they lived, where they could go, who they could marry, and controlled any wages paid to them. The boards had nearly ultimate control over Aboriginal people’s lives who were not considered people and not counted in Australia’s census until 1967, the very year Unaipon died.

During this period Aboriginals were kept in Missions and/or Institutions that were often run by religious orders. To advance, being part of an Order and to preach was the only possible way to gain any respect from white people. And it must be remembered that religion played a much larger part in the lives of people 100 years ago than it does today.

David Unaipon was obviously a highly intelligent man and helped his people gain some respect and recognition amongst a white population that considered them little more than bush animals. However, he was not living a traditional life and therefore there are better references to follow if you are interested in that aspect of Aboriginal life.

PermeateFree said:

Arts said:

Cymek said:

Was religion used on Aboriginal people to repress or convince them the way they were treated was OK as you’ll get a better deal when you are dead.

I mean indigenous people are very spiritual anyway… they believe in spirits and spend time ritualising.. so it’s not a huge step. My Guess is that Unaipon found a way to communicate with the invaders that they would understand and maybe got a bit too into it? But he ended up on the note, so he did something ‘right’

The time of David Unaipon was also the time of the Aboriginal Protection Board that had complete control over Aborigines of where they lived, where they could go, who they could marry, and controlled any wages paid to them. The boards had nearly ultimate control over Aboriginal people’s lives who were not considered people and not counted in Australia’s census until 1967, the very year Unaipon died.

During this period Aboriginals were kept in Missions and/or Institutions that were often run by religious orders. To advance, being part of an Order and to preach was the only possible way to gain any respect from white people. And it must be remembered that religion played a much larger part in the lives of people 100 years ago than it does today.

David Unaipon was obviously a highly intelligent man and helped his people gain some respect and recognition amongst a white population that considered them little more than bush animals. However, he was not living a traditional life and therefore there are better references to follow if you are interested in that aspect of Aboriginal life.

https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/david-ngunaitponi-unaipon

mollwollfumble said:

What’s your opinion on David Unaipon, the man on the $50 note.

I’ve been given a book by him for Xmas. And immediately thought “fantastic, a definitive book on the Australian aboriginal by an Australian aboriginal, back in the 1920s. Nothing could possibly be better.”

But I’m struggling to read it. He writes as a fundamentalist Christian and writes everything about aboriginal culture from a fundamentalist Christian perspective. I know this shouldn’t bother me, but it does.

Any comments?

It is strategic. Unaipon had to frame things in the way that made sense for the white colonialists. They had alll the power. Indigneous folks still haven’t got their Stolen Wages. Every aspect of their lives was controlled by the white people in charge. There is a lot written about this in post colonial writing.

ms spock said:

mollwollfumble said:

What’s your opinion on David Unaipon, the man on the $50 note.

I’ve been given a book by him for Xmas. And immediately thought “fantastic, a definitive book on the Australian aboriginal by an Australian aboriginal, back in the 1920s. Nothing could possibly be better.”

But I’m struggling to read it. He writes as a fundamentalist Christian and writes everything about aboriginal culture from a fundamentalist Christian perspective. I know this shouldn’t bother me, but it does.

Any comments?

It is strategic. Unaipon had to frame things in the way that made sense for the white colonialists. They had alll the power. Indigneous folks still haven’t got their Stolen Wages. Every aspect of their lives was controlled by the white people in charge. There is a lot written about this in post colonial writing.

Thanks all. I wish I’d read this before the other books on Australian aborigines. So I wasn’t as prejudiced.

Now putting aside my petty prejudices, and keeping in mind that Unaipon’s definition of the word “tribe” is quite different to mine (he uses it as I use “totem”, each tribe has at least 4 totems) I’m thoroughly enjoying it and would totally recommend it.

> But I’m struggling to read it.

That’s because I’m struggling to read anything more than two pages long. Not a problem with the book.

mollwollfumble said:

ms spock said:

mollwollfumble said:

What’s your opinion on David Unaipon, the man on the $50 note.

I’ve been given a book by him for Xmas. And immediately thought “fantastic, a definitive book on the Australian aboriginal by an Australian aboriginal, back in the 1920s. Nothing could possibly be better.”

But I’m struggling to read it. He writes as a fundamentalist Christian and writes everything about aboriginal culture from a fundamentalist Christian perspective. I know this shouldn’t bother me, but it does.

Any comments?

It is strategic. Unaipon had to frame things in the way that made sense for the white colonialists. They had alll the power. Indigneous folks still haven’t got their Stolen Wages. Every aspect of their lives was controlled by the white people in charge. There is a lot written about this in post colonial writing.

Thanks all. I wish I’d read this before the other books on Australian aborigines. So I wasn’t as prejudiced.

Now putting aside my petty prejudices, and keeping in mind that Unaipon’s definition of the word “tribe” is quite different to mine (he uses it as I use “totem”, each tribe has at least 4 totems) I’m thoroughly enjoying it and would totally recommend it.

> But I’m struggling to read it.

That’s because I’m struggling to read anything more than two pages long. Not a problem with the book.

Have you been sick recently? Are you over tired? Overwhelmed? Do you need to get outside and get some fresh air?

With all of the turmoil at the moment a lot of folks are having processing challenges.

Apparently we now read in a week what an average person in medieval times would have engaged with in a life time.

ms spock said:

mollwollfumble said:

> But I’m struggling to read it.

That’s because I’m struggling to read anything more than two pages long. Not a problem with the book.

Have you been sick recently? Are you over tired? Overwhelmed? Do you need to get outside and get some fresh air?

With all of the turmoil at the moment a lot of folks are having processing challenges.

Apparently we now read in a week what an average person in medieval times would have engaged with in a life time.

> Have you been sick recently? Are you over tired? Overwhelmed? Do you need to get outside and get some fresh air?

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

In addition to looking after someone with covid (need for fresh air is an essential), I’ve had a really sore back.

Back just about better now. Still hurts a bit but isn’t stopping me from walking normally.

I thoroughly recommend chapter “hunting” from Unaipon’s book. This bit’s non-fiction and superb.

Upainon’s first method of duck hunting appears in two Idriess books.
One of his descriptions of kangaroo hunting tallies with a description in one Idriess book.
So Idriess could be copying from Upainon here.

More importantly, Upainon gives the best description of hunting with boomerang that I’ve ever seen. Two boomerang throws. The first is high to imitate the sound or a Falcon’s wing, sometimes accompanied by a human imitation of a Falcon call. This keeps the birds being hunted close to the ground. The second boomerang throw is close to the ground to kill the birds that are staying low.

Also the best descriptions of hunting with Nulla Nulla (Waddy, throwing stick) that I’ve ever seen.

Also descriptions of catching wildlife with a net, with pit traps, and with a noose (snare) tied to a pole of ti tree wood.

And a new method for luring swans close so that they can be captured (by flapping the wing of a dead swan to imitate a swan in distress).

Crouches low and starts flapping a wing and gets hit by a boomerang

wookiemeister said:

Crouches low and starts flapping a wing and gets hit by a boomerang

Yep. ;-)

I wish I’d read Unaipon when I was way younger. Before I became so cynical.

With just what I’ve read so far, about a quarter of the book, there are tie-ins in the mythology of:

Ancient Greece: the giant ants of Herodotus, sirens of Homer, hamadryad.

Ancient India: Kipling’s “Just so” stories. I’ve read in Unaipon how the tortoise got his shell and how the snake got its fangs.

Biblical mythology: Parting of the waters, calming of the waters, Lot’s wife, holy spirit, “cast the first stone”.

Amerind mythology and practice: totem, people changing into animals, smoke signals.

Norse mythology: Loki the trickster