|
|
| |
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
|
| |
 |
 |
 |
|
inaccurate and offensive |
July 17, 2010 |
| Reviewer:
Anonymous Person
from west croydon, sa Australia
|
|
This book makes absurd generalisations about Aboriginal languages.
The author claims to have "smoothed out" "dialectal differences" between the 80% of Aboriginal languages from the Pama Nyungen family and presented a sort of word list/phrase book of the Aboriginal "language" (singular) which people could use to make friends with Indigenous people.
Sounds like a noble idea? For those unaware there are over 250 distinct Aboriginal languages, many of which have yet to be definitively classified. Suggesting that he has compiled words and phrases that could be used across these culturally, politically and linguistically diverse peoples is as ridiculous as telling a Chinese tourist in Europe that she only needs one phrasebook since they all speak Indo-European language there anyway.
I am offended by this book because it oversimplifies and misrepresents Aboriginal people and their languages, which are an integral part of their identity and of which they are custodians.
Was this review helpful to you? 
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
