Saturday, April 12, 2014

Australia Loses Another Great Writer

Today, I found out that Australia - and the world - has lost another great writer.  However, because I respect her so much and she is Aboriginal (and due to her customs and culture) I won't mention her name.  This writer wrote 'Follow The Rabbit Proof Fence', a story about her mother's survival of a 2000km trek through the Australian desert after escaping from a re-education camp for mix-race children.  This book, and the film it was later turned into, brought into light exactly what our government did to the stolen generation; and how much it affected them and their familes.

I haven't read the book, but I did watch the film; and I was totally shocked at what happened.  There are things in my country's history that I know are horrible, but this has got to be the worse thing that's been documented; and I do hope my government doesn't think of doing this ever again to a race of people who have been here since before the White Man came to its shores.

This wonderful author will be missed.  She passed away on Thursday surrounded by family after she was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer in September in Perth.  
She is survived by 4 children, 31 grandchildren and 80 great-grandchildren.  Her family had taken her out to Pilbara three weeks ago to say farewell to her ancestral home, as it was her last wish to see the countryside one last time. 

Follow the Rabbit Proof Fence Author Passes Away 

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