Growing Up in Central Australia: New Anthropological Studies of Aboriginal Childhood and Adolescence

311 Pages·2011·2.12 MB·English

by  Ute Eickelkamp

GROWING UP IN CENTRAL AUSTRALIA

Growing Up
in Central Australia
New Anthropological Studies of
Aboriginal Childhood and Adolescence
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Edited by
Ute Eickelkamp
Berghahn Books
NEW YORK • OXFORD
First published in 2011 by
Berghahn Books
www.berghahnbooks.com
©2011 Ute Eickelkamp
All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages
for the purposes of criticism and review, no part of this book
may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information
storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented,
without written permission of the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Growing up in Central Australia : new anthropological studies of aboriginal
childhood and adolescence / edited by Ute Eickelkamp.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-85745-082-1 (hardback : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0-85745-083-8
(ebook)
1. Children, Aboriginal Australian—Australia—Central Australia. 2. Adolescence—
Australia—Central Australia. 3. Central Australia—Social conditions. I. Eickelkamp,
Ute.
DU124.C45G76 2011
305.23089’99150942—dc22
2011000950
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Printed in the United States on acid-free paper.
ISBN 978-0-85745-082-1 (hardback)
ISBN 978-0-85745-083-8 (ebook)
For Nina and Anton
In Memory of YY

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Contents
Figures ix
Acknowledgements xi
Introduction. Aboriginal Children and Young People in Focus 1
PART I.
CHILDHOOD ACROSS TIME:
HISTORICAL AND LIFE SPAN PERSPECTIVES
Chapter 1. ‘Less was hidden among these children’:
Géza Róheim, Anthropology and the Politics of
Aboriginal Childhood 15
John Morton
Chapter 2. Envisioning Lives at Ernabella 49
Katrina Tjitayi and Sandra Lewis
Chapter 3. Warungka: Becoming and Unbecoming
a Warlpiri Person 63
Yasmine Musharbash
Chapter 4. Fathers and Sons, Trajectories of Self: Refl ections
on Pintupi Lives and Futures 82
Fred R. Myers
PART II.
STORIES, LANGUAGE AND SOCIAL SPACE
Chapter 5. Sand Storytelling: Its Social Meaning in
Anangu Children’s Lives 103
Ute Eickelkamp
Chapter 6. Young Children’s Social Meaning Making in
a New Mixed Language 131
Carmel O’Shannessy
Chapter 7. The Yard 156
Craig San Roque
vii
viii (cid:1) Contents
PART III.
YOUTH, IDENTITY AND SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION
Chapter 8. Organization within Disorder: The Present and
Future of Young People in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands 183
David Brooks
Chapter 9. Being Mardu: Change and Challenge for Some
Western Desert Young People Today 213
Myrna Tonkinson
Chapter 10. Invisible and Visible Loyalties in Racialized
Contexts: A Systemic Perspective on Aboriginal Youth 239
Marika Moisseeff
Notes on Contributors 273
References 276
Index 293
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Figures
3.1. Warlpiri Spirit Composition according to Meggitt 65
4.1. Members of the Single Men’s Camp at Yayayi, 1973 93
4.2. Bobby West Tjupurrula, Fred Myers and
Titjiwinpa Tjampitjinpa 97
5.1. Sand Storytelling in a Cubbyhouse 106
5.2. Schoolgirls Illustrating their Conversations in the Sand 107
5.3. Floor Plan of a House 108
7.1. The House and Yard Space 165
7.2. Mrs Janie Whistle Raking the Yard 168
7.3. In the Company of Women and Play 169
7.4. Ladies Camping, Breakfast 171
7.5. Girls Dressed Up 176
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Tables
6.1. Warlpiri Sounds in Classic Warlpiri 133
6.2. English Sounds in Light Warlpiri 140
ix