To respect member's privacy and keep things awesome, most of Litsy is hidden from Google. We let humans see and share pages, but not machines. Find out more.
Title: gangurruSub-title: Cultural CrossroadsAuthor: Howard J. PohlnerTowards Understanding and Reconciliation.This is the story of the Guugu Yimidhirr Aboriginal people of the Cooktown region, since first contact by Captain James Cook.The Guugu Yimidhirr aborigines had no concept of European culture when they first encountered Captain James Cook in 1770. He needed to repair his ship which had been damaged on the Great Barrier Reef.What happens at the ?Cultural Crossroads? when people have such different cultural backgrounds?The many settlers and treasure seekers who came to Australia in the next hundred years had very little idea of the impact they would have on the indigenous people.Many clashes occurred which threatened the very survival of the Guugu Yimidhirr people, and into this environment the missionaries who worked among them brought new hope, and life changing possibilities.In our present Australian society, there is an awareness of the need for reconciliation, but most people have little real knowledge of the issues involved. This revised book, ?Gangurru? ? Cultural Crossroads, with many recently rediscovered photographs, has an important role to play in helping all Australians, from whatever culture they may have come, to gain important insights and understanding of many of these issues.Noel Pearson, as a radical young indigenous activist in the 1990s, researched the history of this community. With the help of their oral histories, he found the old men telling stories not of oppression or confinement, but memories of pride in the leadership opportunities that were available to them on the mission.Neville Bonner AO was the first Aboriginal person elected to the Senate of the Australian Parliament, and the following words are extracted from his preface to this book (1986):?This is a saga which needed to be told.'?From young manhood onwards it has been my firm belief, that the Aboriginal race is alive at all in Australia to-day, is due mainly to the church and missionaries as depicted in these pages.'?I recommend the reading of this exceptional book.'
Gangurru: Cultural Crossroads | 
