Why Warriors Lie down and die is essential reading for anyone interested in indigenous peoples. It provides hope and new direction for those searching for the answers as to why "the problems" seems to persist in Aboriginal communities. It also offers insights for those who want a greater understanding of the issues involved in achieving true reconciliation. In Arnhem Land, as in Indigenous communities across Australia, the situation is dire; health is poor, unemployment is rife and life is short. Why Warriors lie down provides a fresh analysis of this crisis and offers examples of how the people can once again take control of their own lives. Finding the real cause of this crisis requires the reader to look at it from the other side of the cultural / language divide - the side where the Yolngu people live. The Book Why Warriors Lie Down and Die takes us to that side.
"Many books have been written about the Yolngu people of Arnhem Land, Australia. This one is very different. It speaks about the real situation that we face every day, a reality that is hard for people of another culture to imagine. Please join us on this journey of trying to understand each other."
Rev. Dr. Djiniyini Gondarra OAM
Powerful storytelling
Why Warriors Lie Down and Die uses a blend of critical and exploratory thinking about inter-cultural interactions, a deep understanding of Yolngu culture, personal experience and powerful story-telling. It continues to be used by universities and ordinary people across Australia and internationally.
Why Warriors Lie Down and Die, was written by Richard Trudgen in 2000, and has sold over 42,000 copies and read by many thousands more. Yet it seen as if it was written just yesterday due to its enduring real-life revelations of the cross-cultural dynamics that continue to persist, and destroy attempts of Yolngu and others like them to achieve a fair go in the Australian Mainstream.
The situation is dire
The situation remains dire in Arnhem Land, as in many Aboriginal communities across Australia. Their health is poor, and they die early in life. Training, schooling, and employment outcomes are dismal, and incarceration rates are the highest in the world. This book offers a very different understanding of this crisis, told from the people's own experiences. It will take the reader to another side of life in Australia. A side that most policymakers and program managers know little about.
For history Buffs
The first 5 chapters cover some of the history of colonisation of east Arnhem Land, with stories from the perspectives of the Yolngu people.
