
Elsie Roughsey was born into the Lardil tribe on Mornington Island, Australia in 1923 soon after the first missionaries arrived. Raised in a dormitory mission and in the traditional life of her tribe, she writes about power, religion, love and marriage, childbirth, medicine, education, crime and punishment across both worlds. This is a book of great charm - and a rare and significant portrait of an Aboriginal life during a period of acute often traumatic change.
This work investigates the intersection of traditional Lardil tribal life and the encroaching influence of mission-based colonial structures in early 20th-century Australia. Elsie R. Labumore, also known as Elsie Roughsey, utilizes her personal history to document the transition of her people during a period of significant cultural upheaval. The narrative serves as a primary account of the dual existence experienced by Aboriginal individuals navigating both ancestral customs and imposed missionary systems.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Scholars and historians recognize this text as a significant primary source for understanding the lived experience of Aboriginal women during the mission era. Readers frequently note the clarity and historical value of the author's voice in documenting a period of rapid cultural transition.
Page Count:
245
Publication Date:
1985-07-02
Publisher:
Penguin Books
ISBN-10:
0140072446
ISBN-13:
9780140072440
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