Welcome to Litsy!

Scores from the book swap last Friday night on my walk home after pole rehearsal.

The feeling of not being “black enough” or “Aboriginal enough”, and lamenting loss of connection to ancestry and culture, is present in almost all of these stories. That‘s the most heartbreaking aspect of Growing Up Aboriginal In Australia for me – the impact that colonisation has had in deciding what a “real” Aboriginal person “should” look like. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/growing-up-aboriginal-in-australia-anita-he...

While my 5 year old nephew took his little girlfriend, Lottie to the movies, chaperoned by my sister, I spent nearly two hours at this op shop. The books were expensive but I shouldn‘t really complain. Total $64. I hope to partake in more op shopping tomorrow. Tonight I had takeaway Chinese with my cousin Emily and her partner Jake and my grandmother at my mum and dad‘s newish home. My sister and two of her children are staying an extra night ❤️

This is a collection of around 50 short stories documenting growing up Aboriginal in Australia. Every story is unique, whether its the format its written in, the age of the author, the area of Australia they live in but the common theme in these stories is the horror of the discrimination all these people face. Day in day out.
So many heartbreaking accounts of the Stolen Generations that has many consequences and ramifications today.

I really recommend this book for anyone wanting a snippet of what it has been like for some people growing up in this country. This book and it‘s short recollections from many indigenous people is both funny and at times very sad. A seriously important read.

Reading and snack before we head to the farm for horse riding today

This book is proving to be a wonderful read and tells some amazing stories but funny and heartbreaking.

Today's picture is from Blair national aprk where we walked a while

Tomorrow I start on this. As a white woman it‘s very important I educate myself of our first people‘s here. And not from white washed sources.

The group that put this together requested short essays from anyone who identified -- partially or wholly -- as Aboriginal. They got 120+ submissions and kept around half of them. They are not always well written, but they are all extremely important. I laughed with them, was appalled, cheered for them, was moved to tears. Read this collection. It's not long. Fit it in by the end of the year. It works for #readharder 2019. #indigenous #oceania

This book has been on my TBR ever since seeing the #ownvoices #oceania prompt on the #readharder challenge. Finally feels like a good time to dive into it. Anyone read this yet? #readaroundtheworld #indigenous #australia

This is a good read about a culture I have to admit I knew very little about. Some essays are more interesting/better written than others. One recurring point was that a lot of the contributors spoke about being mixed race and having to deal both with racism and with being told they weren't 'really' Aboriginal. It also give several painful personal insights into the scandal if the stolen generation.

#ReadHarder challenge 16: an #OwnVoices book set in Oceania

#readharder
An #ownvoices book set in Oceania
Available on #Hoopla

Oops I did it again...
#libraryhaul
#managingholdsfail

So many good books this month but my pick is definitely Growing Up Aboriginal - a very important and accessible read.
Photo: Books I read in July. The one cut off at the bottom is Strange the Dreamer.
Not pictured: the other side of summer, when it‘s real, the lies about truth, faking perfect, some kind of normal, some boys and a tragic kind of wonderful.

Aboriginal people in this country (& around the world) have been subjected to displacement, genocide and ongoing racism. Whilst I believe things have improved, we still have such a long way to go.
Part of what I can do as a Wadjella (white fella) is inform myself; read widely and expose myself to their stories. To shut up and listen.
This anthology of diverse stories is very much worth shutting up and listening to.
🖤🌞❤️

In this autobiographical story by Sharon Kingaby she is referring to attitudes to Aboriginal people in the 1970‘s.

This stuff still happens today. I know this because my Aboriginal son experiences it.

This book needs to be read widely. But I fear that those who need most to read it won‘t. 😢

“You are Aboriginal...there are no halves.”
Jason Goninan‘s story

Shannon Foster.
Australia‘s #blackhistory #civilrights 👊
🖤💛❤️

Flight was rescheduled then delayed. Just been reading at the airport for 2.5 hours.

“I walk between these two worlds
A split life
Split skin
Split tongue
Split kin
Everyday these worlds collide
And I‘m living and breathing
This story of black and white”
Alice Eather

“I knew that Aboriginal meant we were here before the tall ships came. Bits of us. But bits of us came on those tall ships too.”

Making a proper start on this today. #currentlyreading

Ok, so what if I was supposed to be book shopping for hub‘s birthday & none of the books I wanted to buy him were in stock? And what if these two lovelies (pictured) were in stock & I bought them, for me?
🤫☺️🤗😬😍