In celebration of NAIDOC Week 2020, Women’s Agenda is excited to offer a giveaway to our readers, with the chance to win one of two books, Father Sky and Mother Earth and My People (5th Edition), from one of Australia’s foremost Aboriginal poets, Oodgeroo, of the tribe Noonuccal.
Here, we share a poem from Oodgeroo, an excerpt from her book My People, a bewitching collection of Oodgeroo’s poems that belongs on the bookshelves of every art lover and anyone with an appreciation of the written word.
A Song of Hope
Look up, my people,
The dawn is breaking,
The world is waking
To a new bright day,
When none defame us,
No restriction tame us,
Nor colour shame us,
Nor sneer dismay.
Now brood no more
On the years behind you,
The hope assigned you
Shall the past replace,
When a juster justice
Grown wise and stronger
Points the bone no longer
At a darker race.
So long we waited
Bound and frustrated,
Till hate be hated
And caste deposed;
Now light shall guide us,
No goal denied us,
And all doors open
That long were closed.
See plain the promise,
Dark freedom-lover!
Night’s nearly over,
And though long the climb,
New rights will greet us,
New mateship meet us,
And joy complete us
In our new Dream Time.
To our fathers’ fathers
The pain, the sorrow;
To our children’s children
The glad tomorrow.
Excerpted with permission of the publisher, John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd, from My People, by Oodgeroo, of the tribe Noonuccal. © Estate of Oodgeroo 2021. All rights reserved.
About Oodgeroo of the tribe Noonuccal: Author, poet and illustrator Oodgeroo, of the tribe Noonuccal, was born in 1920 on North Stradbroke Island in Queensland. Formerly known as Kath Walker, she lived and worked for most of her life, working tirelessly on behalf of Aboriginal people. She died in 1993.
Father Sky Mother Earth: Celebrate the work of one of Australia’s foremost Aboriginal poets with this timeless illustrated storybook.
Father Sky and Mother Earth created a beautiful world. They filled the world with plants and animals, and everyone lived in peace and happiness … until Human Animals came along with their noise, rubbish, smoke and oil. The animals ran away and plants began to die.
This cautionary story, accompanied by colourful illustrations, has a happy ending. Discover how the worried Human Animals stop the destruction. This 4th edition of Father Sky and Mother Earth contains a vital message that is as relevant today as it was when the story was first published 40 years ago. This special edition brings this vital book back into print in time for NAIDOC week.
My People 5TH Edition: Immerse yourself in the poetry of one of Australia’s foremost Indigenous artists
My People is a compilation of the poetry of Oodgeroo, of the tribe Noonuccal, Custodian of the land Minjerribah. This collection of captivating poetry detailing the struggle of Australia’s Indigenous peoples is more relevant today than ever before.
While she passed away in 1993, Oodgeroo remains one of Australia’s most influential Aboriginal poets. Her poetry leaves little room to argue why that shouldn’t be the case. Razor-sharp and incisive, while simultaneously haunting and beautiful, Oodgeroo’s poems will enchant both young and old alike.
My People is a bewitching collection of Oodgeroo’s poems that belongs on the bookshelves of every art lover and anyone with an appreciation of the written word.
To win this giveaway, please email [email protected] and share your favourite Indigenous artist.