Alice Nannup – When The Pelican Laughed
When the Pelican Laughed is the life story of Alice Nannup, a Yindjibarndi woman born in 1911, on the Abydos station in the Pilbara. Alice's mother was a member of the Yindjibarndi group and her father was 'white.' At the age of twelve Alice was removed from her family by the department of Aboriginal Affairs. It was promised she would be educated and then returned home when she was eighteen. Alice in fact, received little education. She spent some time at the infamous Moore River Settlement followed by many years in domestic service. She eventually married and raised ten children. Finally, sixty-four years after her removal, Alice returned to her home country.
Although written under the rubic of autobiography, this life-story extends the generic boundaries. Autobiography, biography and history combine in this text. The result is a counter-memory, one that highlights the human suffering and tragedy that has marked the establishment of Western Australia as one state. This life-story fills in the gaps that historic categories such as, 'The Growth of the Western Australian Pastoral Industry' omit. This life story is thus not merely an account of one person's life. It is a history of Western Australia, spanning eighty years. In When the Pelican Laughed Alice Nannup documents the repressive effects of the 1905 Aborigines Act on the lives of thousands of people. She describes how the instigation of legalised child abduction effected the everyday lived experiences of numerous women, men and children in this state. She explains in poignant detail the consequences of internment in the Moore River Settlement, including life-long loss of contact with family, identity and independence.
Price £0.00
Price does not include posting and packaging
Click here to order now
