Australia is home to many distinctive species of birds, and Aboriginal
peoples have developed close alliances with them over the millennia of
their custodianship of this country. Aboriginal Peoples and Birds in
Australia: Historical and Cultural Relationships provides a review of
the broad physical, historical and cultural relationships that
Aboriginal people have had with the Australian avifauna.
This book raises awareness of the alternative bodies of ornithological
knowledge that reside outside of Western science. It describes the role
of birds as totemic ancestors and spirit beings, and explores Aboriginal
bird nomenclature, foraging techniques and the use of avian materials to
make food, medicine and artefacts. Through a historical perspective,
this book examines the gaps between knowledge systems of Indigenous
peoples and Western science, to encourage greater collaboration and
acknowledgment in the future.
Features:
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Provides a historical review of the cultural roles of birds and their
importance to Aboriginal peoples in Australia.
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Explores Indigenous knowledge, to inform future research in
ornithology, anthropology and ethnoscience.
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Illustrated with photos taken by the author over 40 years of
fieldwork.
**Cultural Sensitivity
**
Readers are warned that there may be words, descriptions and terms used
in this book that are culturally sensitive, and which might not normally
be used in certain public or community contexts. While this information
may not reflect current understanding, it is provided by the author in a
historical context.
This publication may also contain quotations, terms and annotations that
reflect the historical attitude of the original author or that of the
period in which the item was written, and may be considered
inappropriate today.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this
publication may contain the names and images of people who have passed
away.
