Desert Wisdom

Description

This is the story of two rather naive New Zealand-trained teachers who spent 19 months, 42 years ago, in an isolated desert school among the Alyawarra people at Lake Nash. Initially the Alyawarra adults were aloof. However, the children were keen to attend school and show these whitefella teachers they could learn. After the school had been operating for a time it became clear the children’s reports to their parents were positive and this in turn was reflected in the behaviour of the adults. This acceptance allowed the teachers to break through the cultural barrier to discover that a remarkable culture existed hidden from the outside by the rather extreme living conditions and racial prejudice the Aborigines were subjected to. The story outlines this intricate culture and how it has changed over the years.