The Beagle, Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory, 1994 11:207-208 BOOK REVIEW MY KIND OF PEOPLE: ACHIEVEMENT, IDENTITY AND ABORIGINALITY. Wayne Coolwell 1993 University of Queensland Press. St Lucia. 154 pages In 154 pages (24 of pictures) you could hardly three words”. So says visual artist Gordon expect to get in-depth biographies of 12 singu¬ Bennett, winner of the Moet and Chandon award larly successful people, but Wayne Coolwell for the most outstanding young Australian julist comes pretty close to giving us just this in hisAfy of 1991, whom Coolwell visited in France. Not Kind of People. In fact, he gives insight into the just Aboriginal artist, note. Bennett is under¬ lives and achievements of 13 young Aboriginal standably proud of this. So in this and in many people if we realise that the book itself is quite other ways, a certain ambivalent complexity of an achievement. An achievement on a number identity and political direction for the future is of levels, not the least of which is the sheer evident. Noel Pearson, history graduate and amount of travel which Coolwell undertook to land rights activist, sees all Aboriginal pursuits track down his subjects. They are scattered from as being bound up with his “people’s political Phuket to Perth, Melbourne to Milan, Cape struggle”. Television personality Stan Grant is York to New York. It is not free, of course, from not so sure as to just what the struggle is about the somewhat uncritical enthusiasm redolent of any more. prize-giving night, and this is probably its chief Underlying what drives many of these high fault. But there is much that is praiseworthy and achievers, though, is a determination to do some¬ for those who might still cling to stereotypical thing for their own people. Ironically perhaps, images of "unproductive Aborigines" this book rarely does this desire take the form of actually will lay to rest many misconceptions. To be sure, working with other Aborigines. Overwhelm¬ in the account of Archie Roach’s life as alco¬ ingly, it is seen in terms of opportunities to bring holic, to winner of various awards including the Aboriginality up-front,proudandconfidentboth ARIA award for indigenous album of the year in in terms of what it means to these young people 1990, there is a recognition that many Austral¬ personally and what it can mean to the broader ian Aborigines are, after more than 200 years, community of Aborigines and other Australians still suffering from the devastation of the domi¬ alike. As Ernie Dingo puts it, “I take my nant culture. But the overall impression gained Aboriginality with me all the time”. And he does is one of pride in Aboriginality and hope for a not just mean colour, for there are many shades more just future. Foregrounded is the disarming of black represented here, and indeed shades of honesty of many of those whom Coolwell inter¬ language (for Shirley Nirrpurrandydji, school views. principal of Gapuwiyak in Arnhem Land, Eng¬ Aboriginality, though, has not been an easy lish is only one of a number of languages). But mantle for many of the book’s singers, educa¬ given this, and perhaps even because of it, tionists, sportspeople and others to take upon Coolwell has put his finger on a certain unify¬ themselves. “I’m an Aborigine. Whew. I’ve said ing, underlying, at times illusory Aboriginal it. But it was so difficult to actually say those essence which informs the book. 207 J. Burke Despite some stylistic inconsistencies (Dr John Burke is the 1993 winner of the David Sandra Eades, for example, virtually writes her Unaipon Award. His novel Bridge of Triangles own chapter) this book is warmly recommended will be published by Queensland University reading if you want to gain an insight into what Press in September. He is currently a lecturer at the Aboriginal future of Australia is increas¬ Northern Territory University. ingly likely to be. JOHN BURKE Centre for Aboriginal and Islander Studies, Northern Territory University, Darwin, NT 0801. 208