Tiwi Story: Turning history downside up (Mavis Kerinaiua & Laura Rademaker, UNSW)

In Tiwi Story: Turning history downside up, Mavis Kerinaiua and Laura Rademaker undertake the phenomenal work of penning Tiwi peoples’ past and present. Tiwi Story is the latest preservation of the Tiwi Islands, this time, by narrating its history. Kerinaiua, a Tiwi historian, educator and researcher offers healing. Her recounts speak to her community’s power, resilience, curiosity and innovation. Her reverence for her elders, ancestors and community resonates from the pages. Rademaker, a white historian, author and academic, reconciles with white Australia’s past. Naming her ancestors’ role in the colonial occupation, Rademaker commits to truth-telling about white myths and misconceptions that have impacted, often harmed, the Tiwi story. From these two perspectives, the writers collaborate to tell many Tiwi Stories. It is a succinct and easy-to-follow book that captures over 200 years of Tiwi history within 200 pages. Each chapter seamlessly flows into the next as you are engrossed by a remarkable two centuries. Reading the book captures the feeling of gathering around a campfire while Tiwi storytellers introduce you to their home. Grandchildren speak of their grandparents, and descendants write of and for their ancestors with wonderful, compelling, powerful and thoughtful narrations. The writers’ deep connection to the people and places involved adds extra poignancy to each story and moment. Tiwi Story is a brilliant contribution to the history we tell about Australia.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Vuma Phiri is a Zambian-born storyteller. Their poetry was recently published in the Centre for Stories anthology, Under the Paving Stones, the Beach. Their work can be found on Medium and on Instagram. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Category: Reviews