Kick the Tin Book

This is just a sad book written by an aboriginal woman who was part of the "lost generation" of aborigines -- taken away from their parents, often illegally, by the all knowing "wise" Australian government officials. The children were brainwashed, especially with Christanity and never taught about their own culture and customs. Many were subjected to sexual, physical and certainly emotional abuse by the so called religious care givers -- who seemed to be meeting their own needs ratrher than those of the children. They were also abused by employers when they were placed away from the orphanage with "Christian" families.

Doris Kartinyeri tells her painful story of being taken away from her father (by trickery) when she was a month old and her mother died. Although she is clearly not a writer (and was not even educated much) she tells a riveting story --although I think she glosses over the very painful pieces.

She makes you realize that the alienation this generation feels is responsible for their alcolholism, drug use and mantal illness. One of the sobering things she writes about and you see photos of in the book, with the designation "deceased: are all the young men brough up with her at the Colebrook Home -- all dead from alcoholism at an early age.

It is definitely not a light read --a nd a reminder of the ills of colonialism -- but worth a read.

Thanks, Rich, for the gift of the book.