Auntie Rita

by Jackie Huggins, Rita Huggins

Exploring the memories of the author’s mother Rita and their conversations, this book explores their intimacy, their similarities, and their differences, presenting two distinct voices—two views—on a shared life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Australia, Indigenous

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Victoria Law]

I know very little about the history of Australia, let alone the history and culture(s) of Aboriginal Australia. Huggins' memoir is eye opening. It starts with her, her family and her community being violently removed from their lands.

For those of us unfamiliar with Australian history, I wish that Huggins or her daughter had added historical background to give context to some of her experiences. For instance, why were she and her community removed? Was this part of legislation dis-establishing their community, like the U.S. Secretary of Interior is doing today to the Mashpee Wampanoag and like the U.S. government attempted to do in the 1950s to so many other Native nations? Or were they being forcibly removed and incarcerated in internment camps like the Japanese-Americans during World War II?

Still, I'm glad that she wrote her memoir and generations of readers can read the first-hand account of life for an Aboriginal woman in the 20th and early 21st century.

[Miki Saiki · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is written like a dream time story with a lot of description in nature.
I can see some contract between Rita and Jackie through their different way of showing ideas in text.
The most great part of this book is that it is sustain the beauty of Aboriginal expressions and narration.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent biography providing insight into the life of a First Nation matriarch in Australia from 1921 til 1996. Her life embraces both worlds, the one she was born from and in spirit never left, and from which she was stolen as a child in the 1920s, and the white mission world she was then taken to on a long journey in the back of a cattle truck. There are two voices, her own and her daughter Jackie Huggins both speaking side by side throughout clearly seperated by one in italics. The voices are different but meld perfectly. Auntie Rita's voice is strong, emotional, gossipy, and proud and her daughter's thoughtful, and honest. Where the mother relates events and emotions, the daughter analyses, clarifies, celebrates and condemns. Anyone interested in Australian history, or prepared as a member of that part of the Australian population which has benefited from what was taken from people like Auntie Rita and continues to be taken, will benefit from reading this biography. It is a voice from all our history and needs to be read with eyes open and hearts unblinded by past and present lies.

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting autobiography of an Australian Aboriginal woman, as told through the voice of Rita Huggins and her daughter, Jackie Huggins. Provides some insight into the hardships endured by the Australian native peoples, and the tenacity of one woman to survive under a lifetime of racial discrimination, suppression and cruelty.

[Holstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had the unique quality of deep insight while being very accessible to read. Not that the content was light by any means- this chronicle is an important part of truth-telling in the history of colonisation, disposession and forced family separation as a form of subjuation, but also bringing out resilience, resistance and justice.

[Earthing · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The ultimate insult is 'You're not a real Aboriginal.' Non-Aboriginal people are not expected to comply to one particular model and neither should we. We come in all shapes and sizes, and from different places."