listen to us
‘Nothing about us without us’ is a phrase you might have heard. That’s a way of saying we encourage you to seek out and learn from the unfiltered perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by listening to our stories told by us.
Even better, engage with content created by First Nations people for First Nations people. When we’re in conversation with each other, we’re more likely to be ourselves – and that’s when the real magic happens.
Books and articles listed below are mainly by Palawa creators, but we’ve also included another reading list further down with just some of the many many many more available books written by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over the years.
Whenever possible, buy from Blak-owned businesses such as Lutruwita’s Blackspace Creative or publisher & bookshop Magabala Books on Yawuru Country (Rubibi/Broome, WA).
ABORIGINAL & TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLE, PLEASE BE AWARE THIS CONTENT MAY CONTAIN NAMES AND VOICES OF DECEASED PERSONS AND INFORMATION THAT MAY CAUSE DISTRESS.
BOOKS & ARTICLES
Old Dar My Grandfather by Rex Greeno (2022).
luwa tara luwa waypa written by Dave mangenner Gough and illustrated by Samantha Campbell (2022).
taypani milaythina-tu: Return to Country (2023), Kanalaritja: An Unbroken String (2011) and Tayenebe: Tasmanian Aboriginal women's fibre work (2009). These are more than catalogues - they're collections of Pakana authored essays and stories. Available from the Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery shop in Nipaluna/Hobart.
rina-mapali, nimina & kalkina (lots of shells, grass and seaweeds): Lola Greeno living legacy (QVMAG, 2021).
Born Into This by Adam Thompson (2021).
Sea Country by Patsy Cameron & Lisa Kennedy (2021).
Dear Son: Letters and reflections from First Nations fathers and sons by Thomas Mayor (2021). Proud palawa man Tim Sculthorpe’s letter from p.162.
Growing up Aboriginal in Australia edited by Anita Heiss (2018) has chapters related to Lutruwita/Tasmania.
Treaty and Statehood: Aboriginal Self-determination by Michael Mansell (2016).
Tasmanian Songman Ronnie by Ronnie Summers (2009) is available from Magabala Books.
Keeping Culture: Aboriginal Tasmania, edited by Amanda Jane Reynolds (2006)
Pride Against Prejudice: Reminiscences of a Tasmanian Aborigine, Ida West (Monteplier Press, 2004).
TV, FILMS & DOCUMENTARIES
Going Places with Ernie Dingo, NITV/SBS (2023). Season 5, Episode 2 ‘Bay of Fires, Fremantle, Healesville’ features wukalina Walk.
The Australian Wars, 3-part series by Rachel Perkins, SBS on demand (2022). Episode 2 focusses on Lutruwita/Tasmania.
Back to Nature (Aaron Pedersen & Holly Ringland), ABC on demand. Season 1, Episode 5 ‘The Fires of Larapuna’ features Lutruwita.
rina-mapali, nimina & kalikina: Lola Greeno living legacy (2021) - short film.
Who Do You Think You Are? SBS on demand (2021). Uncle Jack Charles learns that his father’s cultural identity is Palawa.
First Australians (directed by Rachel Perkins & Beck Cole), SBS on demand. Season 1, Episode 2 ‘Her Will to Survive’ focuses on Lutruwita.
The Last Tasmanian Songman, Ronnie Summers, Back Roads – ABC iView (2018).
Going Places with Ernie Dingo, NITV/SBS on demand. Season 2, Episode 1 ‘Cradle Mountain’ focuses on Lutruwita.
Women of the Island: Elder of Shells. A short film by Takani Clark featuring Lolo Greeno about kanalaritja (shell stringing).
The Needwonnee Walk, Tasmanian Aboriginal Land & Sea Council and Tasmania Parks & Wildlife (2011).
PODCASTS & RADIO
Young nipaluna 6-episode podcast was hosted by Nunami Sculthorpe-Green in partnership with ABC Hobart, 2021.
Rulla Kelly-Mansell on Having a Survivor Mentality – iHeart Radio podcast Wait, You What? hosted by Erica Mallet, Sept 2021.
Merinda Sainty was interviewed and played traditional music of Truwana/Cape Barren Island on the fiddle on The Wolfe & Thorn Podcast, 10 June 2021.
The NITV Podcast episode palawa kani: Learn words from the language of lutruwita, 29 July 2021
Reuniting Aboriginal Fire Culture in Tasmania by Andry Sculthorpe and Billy Paton-Clarke, Beaker Street Festival 2020.
Frontier War Stories podcast - host Boe Spearim interviews Teangi Brown in Ep2: Black Wars, 15 May 2020.
Nunami Sculthorpe-Green of takara nipaluna, interviewed on ABC radio’s Breakfast: ‘New tour shows Black War history through Aboriginal eyes’ on 9 Mar 2020 and ‘The city according to Nunami’ on 10 Aug 2020.
ABC Radio National Word Up with Tessa Atto, 10 July 2021.
ABC Kids podcast Little Yarns with Tessa Atto, 16 Aug 2019.
There’s a huge amount of ABC radio Hobart content to engage with – often in very digestibly short segments on fascinating specific subjects. For example, the re-creation of a palawa canoe using a CT machine reviving knowledge that had been resting for 170 years.
MORE BOOKS
NANGAMAY dream MANA gather DJURALI grow, edited by Alison Whittaker & Stephen Lindsay Ross (2023).
The Cockatoo Wars by Helen Milroy (2023).
Gurawul the Whale: An ancient story for our time by Max Dulumunmun Harrison (2023).
ART by Charmaine Papertalk Green & John Kinsella (2022).
Cartwarra or what? by Alf Taylor (2022).
Jack of Hearts: QX11594 by Jackie Huggins & Ngaire Jarro (2022).
Astronomy Sky Country by Karlie Noon & Krystal De Napoli and edited by Margo Neale (2022). This book is part of a series.
Flock: First Nations Stories Then and Now, edited by Ellen van Neerven (2021).
Our Home, Our Heartbeat by Adam Briggs (2021).
Fire Front: First Nations poetry and power today by Alison Whittaker (2020).
Bindi by Kirli Saunders (2020).
Homeland Calling: Words from a New Generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voices (Desert Pea Media) edited by Ellen van Neerven (2020).
Wilam: A Birrarung Story by Andrew Kelly & Joy Murphy Wandin (2019).
Jack Charles: Born-again Blakfella by Jack Charles with Namila Benson (2019).
Tell Me Why: the story of my life and my music by Archie Roach (2019).
Jandamarra and the Bunuba Resistance by Banjo Woorunmurra & Howard Pedersen (1995).
Adam Goodes has written children’s books and everything by Sally Morgan, Anita Heiss and Claire G. Coleman is extremely good. AustLit's BlackWords lists 23,481 works, and 6,949 Blak authors and organisations so this list goes on and on. Follow Blackfulla Bookclub on their socials for more excellent recommendations.