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Talkin' Up to the White Woman: Indigenous Women and Feminism
Revealing the invisible position of power and privilege in feminist practice, this accessible and provocative analysis elucidates the whiteness of Australian feminism. A pioneering work, it will overturn complacent notions of a mutual sisterhood and the common good.
234 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2000
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About the author
Aileen Moreton-Robinson
8 books52 followersAileen Moreton-Robinson is professor of Indigenous studies at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, and is director of the National Indigenous Research and Knowledges Network. She is author of Talkin’ Up to the White Woman: Indigenous Women and Feminism and editor of several books, including Sovereign Subjects: Indigenous Sovereignty Matters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
December 22, 2020
A brilliant and insightful book that feels like it was decades ahead of its time. A lot of the debates about race and whiteness have become much more mainstream since this was published, although the key issues remain. It's clearly a converted PhD thesis, so things get quite academic in sections - a working knowledge of Australian feminist academia would help, especially in the early sections. But it's clear and bracing and an incredibly bold piece of work.
April 24, 2024
Systematic, unflinching and powerful in its analysis — and 23 years on, important as ever. Moreton-Robertson pushes back against the universalising claims of white feminism to be for ‘all women’ by showing how Indigenous women’s voices are marginalised, silenced and excluded from a movement that is foremostly focused on the agenda of middle class white women.
I learnt to view the dynamics between white feminists and ‘Othered’ women in a new light — whereas second wave feminism is concerned with making room for ‘difference’ in terms of race, white feminists “fail to appreciate that their position as situated knowers within white race privilege is inextricably connected to the systemic racism they criticise but do not experience” (xx). In other words, ‘whiteness’ is not interrogated as a racial and cultural ‘difference’. This ‘white solipsism’ has meant that white feminist scholars’ understanding and criticisms of racism have been confined to the academic sphere, with anti-racism as a practice rarely impacting their lived experiences.
Throughout history, white feminists have failed to interrogate how they are complicit in and continue to benefit from the colonial project, which saw the formation of whiteness as ideology and practice. An ideology, in that a Christian moral patriarchal imperialism led to beliefs about ‘true womanhood’, which marked Indigenous women as inferior. And practice, in the individual and systemic separation, exclusion and disenfranchisement of Indigenous women. White womanhood is a specific form of privilege in that it has become institutionalised — in academia, government, and wider society. It controls how representations of Indigenous women are constructed — against the norm of white middle-class woman — and determines who has the power to speak for Indigenous women’s experiences.
The book ultimately calls white feminists to “relinquish power so that feminist practice can contribute to changing the racial order”. There are many more important learnings that are packed into this book. The highly academic writing makes it sometimes difficult to read, so I’ll be revisiting it again to pick up on the points I have undoubtedly missed.
I learnt to view the dynamics between white feminists and ‘Othered’ women in a new light — whereas second wave feminism is concerned with making room for ‘difference’ in terms of race, white feminists “fail to appreciate that their position as situated knowers within white race privilege is inextricably connected to the systemic racism they criticise but do not experience” (xx). In other words, ‘whiteness’ is not interrogated as a racial and cultural ‘difference’. This ‘white solipsism’ has meant that white feminist scholars’ understanding and criticisms of racism have been confined to the academic sphere, with anti-racism as a practice rarely impacting their lived experiences.
Throughout history, white feminists have failed to interrogate how they are complicit in and continue to benefit from the colonial project, which saw the formation of whiteness as ideology and practice. An ideology, in that a Christian moral patriarchal imperialism led to beliefs about ‘true womanhood’, which marked Indigenous women as inferior. And practice, in the individual and systemic separation, exclusion and disenfranchisement of Indigenous women. White womanhood is a specific form of privilege in that it has become institutionalised — in academia, government, and wider society. It controls how representations of Indigenous women are constructed — against the norm of white middle-class woman — and determines who has the power to speak for Indigenous women’s experiences.
The book ultimately calls white feminists to “relinquish power so that feminist practice can contribute to changing the racial order”. There are many more important learnings that are packed into this book. The highly academic writing makes it sometimes difficult to read, so I’ll be revisiting it again to pick up on the points I have undoubtedly missed.
January 6, 2016
The academic language used means that it can be very dry or even inaccessible to the casual reader. Having said that, this is an extremely worthwhile book, particularly for white Australian feminists.
September 19, 2025
4.5? had this book on my physical tbr for a while and am very glad i finally got around to reading it. it definitely wasn’t what i expected but that’s on me not the author - i expected it to be a lot more about first nations women’s experiences rather than so deeply examining white women and their relationship with first nations women. however, this was such an important topic to examine - and also so important in light of the authors afterword - it is dangerous to just sit back and listen to first nations people rather than doing the work and interrogating your own thoughts and practices. this book really challenges the reader to take a more active role. with that being said, i found the interviews - both with first nations and white women - particularly insightful. i can only imagine how groundbreaking this book would have been when it was published - and while it wasn’t all brand new information now, it is certainly sobering to realise just how relevant it still is 25 years later.
i think my main critique would be that the book definitely reads like a dissertation and there were many sentences that felt unnecessarily convoluted/complex for the sake of being complex and not really saying anything. this is the main reason i didn't give it a full 5 stars however i i am slightly hesitant to critique a book for being ‘too complex’ - not really sure where the line is between it being my problem versus the authors?
definitely a book where i would benefit from discussion with others/returning to in the future - lots of important ideas to think about and reflect on
key takeaways:
- problems of assuming gender as primary cause of oppression for all women
- anti-racist work does not only involve interrogating racial oppression but racial privilege and whiteness - treat whiteness as an institution, don’t leave it unnamed/unquestioned/made invisible
- the traditional v contemporary binary view of first nations women is deeply problematic - allows white people to pick and choose who they listen to, ignores first nations expertise and multiple experiences etc
- it is dangerous to pretend racism isn’t socialised, banal, boring, insidious - and to view it as something that doesn’t also affect white people/only occurs in public and not private
- one must be careful of falling into trap of just passively listening to FN instead of activity doing work to address racism
- white feminists become angry/offended, but they move this anger onto the ’angry black women’
chapter 1 = historical treatment of first nation women
- a lot of insight into first nations history and the realities of racism, particularly in this first chapter - hearing from indigenous women and their experiences was a particular highlight of the book. it never fails to shock me hearing about everything that was witnessed/endured and i think it was really important how all these experiences were emphasised
- “to accept the value system of white feminism is to accept the superiority of its culturally biased values, which are predisposed to exclude non-white women on the basis of their race and culture” - the ever-present idea of assimilation and confirming to the system v breaking it down…
- “self-presentation by indigenous women is a political act” - a point to chew on - where is the line between something being political or not? is everything first nation people do political by virtue of them existing when so much of colonisation has tried to remove them? but how does this compare to critiques of choice feminism etc - not everything a woman does is a feminist act simply by virtue of her being a woman…
- indigenous people were kept as slaves: “the difference between slavery in america and indentured labour in australia was that government, not free enterprise, controlled the terms and conditions of the trade”
- aboriginal women “were not passive victims, they participated in forms of resistance”
chapter 2 = history of feminism and intersectionality
- introduced us to a lot of the key ideas present throughout the book:
- australian feminism îs controlled by white women - means any recognition/analysis of difference occurs through their lens/subject position
- must recognise differences and view them as strengths (always love a reference to lorde) - “women must do coalition work. this means that we must recognise that we have to respect differences and work with them even if they are dangerous and painful”
- problems of assuming gender is primary cause of oppression - assumes a universal experience of womanhood, but this is based on white middle-class women. ignores other factors such as race and class
- anti-racist work etc does not just involve considering racial oppression - must also consider whiteness and racial privilege. otherwise, whiteness remains the unquestioned norm -> made invisible, not seen as a difference. it is a problem that race is often conceptualised as only “refer[ring] to all those who are non-white. failing to racialise white women as such means that white race privilege remains uninterrogated as a source of oppression and inequality”
- “feminism must accept that it is not the political home for all women all the time” - women are impacted by so many factors and gender isn’t always going to be their primary source of oppression. feminism must address these other sources of oppression also.
- “Although it is acknowledged that "race" is a factor that shaped a woman's legal personality, "race" is synonymous with the non-white "Other". "Society operates in such a way as to put whiteness at the centre of everything, including individual consciousness — so much so that we seldom question the centrality of whiteness, and most people, on hearing race', hear 'black'. That is, whiteness is treated as the norm, against which all differences are measured"
chapter 3: problems with anthropology and the ‘traditional’ v ‘contemporary’ indigenous women
- this was such an interesting chapter: looking at how indigenous women are represented by women anthropologists, especially in terms of the ‘traditional’ and ‘contemporary’ categories
- indigenous women are often written about by white feminists and women anthropologists - these representation are privileged and viewed as being experts of indigenous people/culture - instead of privileging/recognising the expertise of first nations people themselves - and without questioning the accuracy/ethics of this other representation
- indigenous women are viewed as ‘traditional’/‘authentic’ or ‘contemporary’ - this binary categorisation has a variety of problems and ignores the multiple possibilities/nuance of identity and creates notions of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ first nations people - which, depending on the context - one can either be ‘good’ for being authentic - or ‘good’ for being assimilated
- the idea of traditional/authentic assumes a precolonial culture still exists - ignores/denies the impacts of colonisation and are viewed as objects. such first nations people are viewed as ‘authentic’ - thus, this categorisation punishes indigenous people for being colonised - “racial impurity and the acquisition of white knowledge were used to reduce the authenticity and legitimacy of” indigenous people
- the idea of contemporary (often those who are classed as ‘half-caste’) is to dismiss culture and view as more aligned/assimilated with white people - however they are never truly treated like white, nor can they really ever experience the same privileges that white people do
- judged by state/white as ‘indigenous enough’ based on whiteness of skin, evidence of intelligent/behaviour conforming to white people - even what is ‘indigenous enough’ is decided by white people rather than first nations people
- the problems of this are reflected throughout the rest of the book e.g.: “capp transfers her discomfort onto the ground of aboriginal authenticity as a way of recuperating white superiority; she does not have to listen to the authentic for she knows the true native” - can dismiss the expertise of first nations people by claiming they are not authentic/legitimate
- “It produces a contradiction; biologically and culturally the contemporary Indigenous woman is liminal, but is on a trajectory of assimilation towards the white woman. In other words, the contemporary Indigenous woman is becoming more like a white woman in practice because she does not look "Indigenous" and lacks traditional culture. The problem with this proposition is that assimilation is a superficial explanation of Indigenous peoples cultures. how can Indigenous women be assimilated when we do not have access to the same resources and opporturunties as white women?”
- “The "traditional" versus "contemporary" Indigenous woman binary is intrinsically linked to the subject position middle-class white woman. This subject position represents the standard against which the "traditional" Indigenous woman is measured to determine what she is not. Indigenous women who are identified as "contemporary" are also measured against this subject position to show similarity with white women and difference from the dional" Indigenous woman. The "contemporary" indigenous woman is represented as though she is never white enough”
- “Knowledge is never innocent or neutral. It is a key to power and meaning. It is used to dominate and control.”
chapter 4: representations in research
- a lot of interesting questions around research ethics raised in this chapter
- found the description of a ‘model village’ interesting: the idea that white people will always be outsiders and thus present a skewed perception of first nations people e.g., feel they have to perform/present in certain way
- white research assumes western research is superior and that indigenous people are obligated to participate. but “who benefits the most from the research?” … “anthropological methodology is problematical because it creates a radicalised binary that centres the subject position middle-class white women and produces distorted representations of indigenous women”
chapter 5: how do white feminists represent/view themselves?
- such a fascinating chapter - looking at how white academics view themselves/enact anti-racist practices
- by keeping cultural differences through the lens of other countries, “the racialised "Other" belongs to another country and is therefore culturally safe for interrogation. An assumption that underpins such a teaching strategy is: racialisation is the same everywhere.” - never forced to fully interrogate racism in australia
- idea of white feminists being able to choose their ethnicities and view them as an individual identity with no social costs was interesting
- lack of interaction with poc not an accident - how the world is built - but has significant implications - a lack of interaction with poc beyond the classroom/in the personal life keeps racism to something that is not a personal/prviate issue: “allows her to exercise the privilege of racial invisibility. She is able to have an intellectual relationship to racism that is not personal and does not inform-any altering of her subjectivity. "Racism" is thus relegated to something that operates in the public sphere but not the private.”
- if you are only encountering poc in text/imagination - it is easy to turn away, your narratives and assumptions aren’t questioned etc
- “the idea that one does not notice colour is an explanation that allows these feminists to distance themselves from racism by rejecting white racial superiority… if noticing a person’s race is not a good thing to do, then by implication colour, meaning non-white, is seen as being bad in and of itself”
- it is dangerous to pretend racism isn’t socialised, banal, boring, insidious… - “here one’s personal relationship with racism is through a moral position that allows one to put distance between oneself and other members of the dominant group who are evil and racist. by implication one is not an evil person, therefore one is not racist. once can deploy the subject position middle-class white woman to signify virtue and purity, because racism is perceived as racial hatred, not as racial supremacy in which all members of th dominant group are systemically implicated”
- so interesting think abòut the research methodology and how white researchers engaged w racism: a flipping of positions - white women became the subject of the indigenous woman - but also she can never not be the subject in some way. being the other means the power imbalance is different from white researcher/indigenous subject
- dangerous. - academics view themselves as not racist and thus don’t examine it, intellectual engagement only - ignores how white people are also personally affect and implicated in racism. framed as something only affecting poc
chapter 6: conclusion
- sobering reading all the statistics about differences between indigenous and white people - education, health gap, homelessness employment, jail erc - how much has changed since 2000 probably not enough
- most interesting chapter by far - hearing how FN women have represented themselves - but, as cautioned in the afterword, one must be careful of falling into trap of just passively listening to FN instead of activity doing work to address racism
- FN women have different priorities to white women - racism is often the primary form of oppression they experience: “culturally and politically it is an irrelevant luxury for indigenous women to prioritise white feminist issues over indigenous issues for the sake of gender solidarity”
- a really important point: we must view whiteness is an institution in the same way we view heterosexuality as one
- “my book does not presuppose the existence of a sisterhood”
chapter 7: reflections 20 years later
- problems with the traditional/contemporary binary: “capp transfers her discomfort onto the ground of aboriginal authenticity as a way of recuperating white superiority; she does not have to listen to the authentic for she knows the true native”
- not enough to just listen to FN people - need to actively do the work
- importance of self-determination and empowerment: “it requires is more resources to go into the hands of Indigenous women in their communities so that they can deal with the issue of rape in ways that are appropriate for them. What is required white feminists is that they engage in dialogue with their while Femocrat sisters to make Indigenous women's issues a priority for government funding.”
- “displacement is an interesting thing, as it is the anger of white women which become identified as mine” - such an important point - white feminists become angry/offended, but they move this anger onto the ’angry black women’
- “they [white women/people] find liberation in becoming disempowerered, and by default appropriate the position of non-whites” - also mentioned at the start re. brown scars/white tears etc..
- “this performative assumption of powerlessness actively refuses to engage with the text which identifies white race privilege”
i think my main critique would be that the book definitely reads like a dissertation and there were many sentences that felt unnecessarily convoluted/complex for the sake of being complex and not really saying anything. this is the main reason i didn't give it a full 5 stars however i i am slightly hesitant to critique a book for being ‘too complex’ - not really sure where the line is between it being my problem versus the authors?
definitely a book where i would benefit from discussion with others/returning to in the future - lots of important ideas to think about and reflect on
key takeaways:
- problems of assuming gender as primary cause of oppression for all women
- anti-racist work does not only involve interrogating racial oppression but racial privilege and whiteness - treat whiteness as an institution, don’t leave it unnamed/unquestioned/made invisible
- the traditional v contemporary binary view of first nations women is deeply problematic - allows white people to pick and choose who they listen to, ignores first nations expertise and multiple experiences etc
- it is dangerous to pretend racism isn’t socialised, banal, boring, insidious - and to view it as something that doesn’t also affect white people/only occurs in public and not private
- one must be careful of falling into trap of just passively listening to FN instead of activity doing work to address racism
- white feminists become angry/offended, but they move this anger onto the ’angry black women’
chapter 1 = historical treatment of first nation women
- a lot of insight into first nations history and the realities of racism, particularly in this first chapter - hearing from indigenous women and their experiences was a particular highlight of the book. it never fails to shock me hearing about everything that was witnessed/endured and i think it was really important how all these experiences were emphasised
- “to accept the value system of white feminism is to accept the superiority of its culturally biased values, which are predisposed to exclude non-white women on the basis of their race and culture” - the ever-present idea of assimilation and confirming to the system v breaking it down…
- “self-presentation by indigenous women is a political act” - a point to chew on - where is the line between something being political or not? is everything first nation people do political by virtue of them existing when so much of colonisation has tried to remove them? but how does this compare to critiques of choice feminism etc - not everything a woman does is a feminist act simply by virtue of her being a woman…
- indigenous people were kept as slaves: “the difference between slavery in america and indentured labour in australia was that government, not free enterprise, controlled the terms and conditions of the trade”
- aboriginal women “were not passive victims, they participated in forms of resistance”
chapter 2 = history of feminism and intersectionality
- introduced us to a lot of the key ideas present throughout the book:
- australian feminism îs controlled by white women - means any recognition/analysis of difference occurs through their lens/subject position
- must recognise differences and view them as strengths (always love a reference to lorde) - “women must do coalition work. this means that we must recognise that we have to respect differences and work with them even if they are dangerous and painful”
- problems of assuming gender is primary cause of oppression - assumes a universal experience of womanhood, but this is based on white middle-class women. ignores other factors such as race and class
- anti-racist work etc does not just involve considering racial oppression - must also consider whiteness and racial privilege. otherwise, whiteness remains the unquestioned norm -> made invisible, not seen as a difference. it is a problem that race is often conceptualised as only “refer[ring] to all those who are non-white. failing to racialise white women as such means that white race privilege remains uninterrogated as a source of oppression and inequality”
- “feminism must accept that it is not the political home for all women all the time” - women are impacted by so many factors and gender isn’t always going to be their primary source of oppression. feminism must address these other sources of oppression also.
- “Although it is acknowledged that "race" is a factor that shaped a woman's legal personality, "race" is synonymous with the non-white "Other". "Society operates in such a way as to put whiteness at the centre of everything, including individual consciousness — so much so that we seldom question the centrality of whiteness, and most people, on hearing race', hear 'black'. That is, whiteness is treated as the norm, against which all differences are measured"
chapter 3: problems with anthropology and the ‘traditional’ v ‘contemporary’ indigenous women
- this was such an interesting chapter: looking at how indigenous women are represented by women anthropologists, especially in terms of the ‘traditional’ and ‘contemporary’ categories
- indigenous women are often written about by white feminists and women anthropologists - these representation are privileged and viewed as being experts of indigenous people/culture - instead of privileging/recognising the expertise of first nations people themselves - and without questioning the accuracy/ethics of this other representation
- indigenous women are viewed as ‘traditional’/‘authentic’ or ‘contemporary’ - this binary categorisation has a variety of problems and ignores the multiple possibilities/nuance of identity and creates notions of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ first nations people - which, depending on the context - one can either be ‘good’ for being authentic - or ‘good’ for being assimilated
- the idea of traditional/authentic assumes a precolonial culture still exists - ignores/denies the impacts of colonisation and are viewed as objects. such first nations people are viewed as ‘authentic’ - thus, this categorisation punishes indigenous people for being colonised - “racial impurity and the acquisition of white knowledge were used to reduce the authenticity and legitimacy of” indigenous people
- the idea of contemporary (often those who are classed as ‘half-caste’) is to dismiss culture and view as more aligned/assimilated with white people - however they are never truly treated like white, nor can they really ever experience the same privileges that white people do
- judged by state/white as ‘indigenous enough’ based on whiteness of skin, evidence of intelligent/behaviour conforming to white people - even what is ‘indigenous enough’ is decided by white people rather than first nations people
- the problems of this are reflected throughout the rest of the book e.g.: “capp transfers her discomfort onto the ground of aboriginal authenticity as a way of recuperating white superiority; she does not have to listen to the authentic for she knows the true native” - can dismiss the expertise of first nations people by claiming they are not authentic/legitimate
- “It produces a contradiction; biologically and culturally the contemporary Indigenous woman is liminal, but is on a trajectory of assimilation towards the white woman. In other words, the contemporary Indigenous woman is becoming more like a white woman in practice because she does not look "Indigenous" and lacks traditional culture. The problem with this proposition is that assimilation is a superficial explanation of Indigenous peoples cultures. how can Indigenous women be assimilated when we do not have access to the same resources and opporturunties as white women?”
- “The "traditional" versus "contemporary" Indigenous woman binary is intrinsically linked to the subject position middle-class white woman. This subject position represents the standard against which the "traditional" Indigenous woman is measured to determine what she is not. Indigenous women who are identified as "contemporary" are also measured against this subject position to show similarity with white women and difference from the dional" Indigenous woman. The "contemporary" indigenous woman is represented as though she is never white enough”
- “Knowledge is never innocent or neutral. It is a key to power and meaning. It is used to dominate and control.”
chapter 4: representations in research
- a lot of interesting questions around research ethics raised in this chapter
- found the description of a ‘model village’ interesting: the idea that white people will always be outsiders and thus present a skewed perception of first nations people e.g., feel they have to perform/present in certain way
- white research assumes western research is superior and that indigenous people are obligated to participate. but “who benefits the most from the research?” … “anthropological methodology is problematical because it creates a radicalised binary that centres the subject position middle-class white women and produces distorted representations of indigenous women”
chapter 5: how do white feminists represent/view themselves?
- such a fascinating chapter - looking at how white academics view themselves/enact anti-racist practices
- by keeping cultural differences through the lens of other countries, “the racialised "Other" belongs to another country and is therefore culturally safe for interrogation. An assumption that underpins such a teaching strategy is: racialisation is the same everywhere.” - never forced to fully interrogate racism in australia
- idea of white feminists being able to choose their ethnicities and view them as an individual identity with no social costs was interesting
- lack of interaction with poc not an accident - how the world is built - but has significant implications - a lack of interaction with poc beyond the classroom/in the personal life keeps racism to something that is not a personal/prviate issue: “allows her to exercise the privilege of racial invisibility. She is able to have an intellectual relationship to racism that is not personal and does not inform-any altering of her subjectivity. "Racism" is thus relegated to something that operates in the public sphere but not the private.”
- if you are only encountering poc in text/imagination - it is easy to turn away, your narratives and assumptions aren’t questioned etc
- “the idea that one does not notice colour is an explanation that allows these feminists to distance themselves from racism by rejecting white racial superiority… if noticing a person’s race is not a good thing to do, then by implication colour, meaning non-white, is seen as being bad in and of itself”
- it is dangerous to pretend racism isn’t socialised, banal, boring, insidious… - “here one’s personal relationship with racism is through a moral position that allows one to put distance between oneself and other members of the dominant group who are evil and racist. by implication one is not an evil person, therefore one is not racist. once can deploy the subject position middle-class white woman to signify virtue and purity, because racism is perceived as racial hatred, not as racial supremacy in which all members of th dominant group are systemically implicated”
- so interesting think abòut the research methodology and how white researchers engaged w racism: a flipping of positions - white women became the subject of the indigenous woman - but also she can never not be the subject in some way. being the other means the power imbalance is different from white researcher/indigenous subject
- dangerous. - academics view themselves as not racist and thus don’t examine it, intellectual engagement only - ignores how white people are also personally affect and implicated in racism. framed as something only affecting poc
chapter 6: conclusion
- sobering reading all the statistics about differences between indigenous and white people - education, health gap, homelessness employment, jail erc - how much has changed since 2000 probably not enough
- most interesting chapter by far - hearing how FN women have represented themselves - but, as cautioned in the afterword, one must be careful of falling into trap of just passively listening to FN instead of activity doing work to address racism
- FN women have different priorities to white women - racism is often the primary form of oppression they experience: “culturally and politically it is an irrelevant luxury for indigenous women to prioritise white feminist issues over indigenous issues for the sake of gender solidarity”
- a really important point: we must view whiteness is an institution in the same way we view heterosexuality as one
- “my book does not presuppose the existence of a sisterhood”
chapter 7: reflections 20 years later
- problems with the traditional/contemporary binary: “capp transfers her discomfort onto the ground of aboriginal authenticity as a way of recuperating white superiority; she does not have to listen to the authentic for she knows the true native”
- not enough to just listen to FN people - need to actively do the work
- importance of self-determination and empowerment: “it requires is more resources to go into the hands of Indigenous women in their communities so that they can deal with the issue of rape in ways that are appropriate for them. What is required white feminists is that they engage in dialogue with their while Femocrat sisters to make Indigenous women's issues a priority for government funding.”
- “displacement is an interesting thing, as it is the anger of white women which become identified as mine” - such an important point - white feminists become angry/offended, but they move this anger onto the ’angry black women’
- “they [white women/people] find liberation in becoming disempowerered, and by default appropriate the position of non-whites” - also mentioned at the start re. brown scars/white tears etc..
- “this performative assumption of powerlessness actively refuses to engage with the text which identifies white race privilege”
June 21, 2020
This book is not what I expected - I guess I was thinking it would be more an exploration of Indigenous women's issues, since it's often talked about as an early work of Indigenous feminism. But it's actually very specifically about the relationship between Indigenous women and white women in various realms - in white feminist discourse, white women's ethnographies, white women academic works, as well as in Indigenous women's writings. Which is super interesting, just not what I thought it would be! I would like to read it again, more slowly, and probably with more context on Australia. Would also be very interesting to see an update from Moreton-Robinson in light of the increasing visibility of Indigenous feminism (not sure if that is present in Australia the way it is in the Americas, Aotearoa, and Sapmi, though).
November 16, 2024
"This book has shown that whiteness needs to be interrogated as a specific form of privilege. However, the real challenge for white feminists is to theorise the relinquishment of power so that feminist practice can contribute to changing the racial order. Until this challenge is addressed, the subject position middle-class white woman will remain centred as a site of dominance. Indigenous women will continue to resist this dominance by talkin' up, because the invisibility of unspeakable things requires them to be spoken" (p.186)
The author's critique of white feminism in Australia is an important work. Her analysis of white women's oppression of Indigenous women since invasion is thorough and how white feminism has failed to address white women's privilege is necessary if we are to address racism and oppression.
The author's critique of white feminism in Australia is an important work. Her analysis of white women's oppression of Indigenous women since invasion is thorough and how white feminism has failed to address white women's privilege is necessary if we are to address racism and oppression.
May 13, 2021
Essential reading for all but in particular those that ascribe to the western model of feminism. It is quite academic in language so suggest pacing yourself through passages to be able to absorb the text fully. As relevant as ever.
October 27, 2020
An extremely powerful read. Articulated so clearly and shone light on something that can easily be invisible - how history and society can shape our own personal bias. Such a perspective of colonialism, race and feminism is invaluable and important for all Australians and others to read.
October 31, 2020
This was technically my second read but may as well have been my first, given how little I understood or engaged with the book when I read it two decades ago. And it is a shame because there is a lot here to engage with: the relatively small volume is densely packed. The book's basic premise in some ways now seems simple enough: at the centre of feminism is an unexamined, incontestable default subject perspective of middle-class white woman. The perspectives of other women, especially Aboriginal women, are always constituted as Other. The book seeks to make Whiteness present, seen and critiqued as a powerbase: "Whiteness is so pervasive as an invisible norm that race, as difference, still belongs only to women who are not white in Australian feminism". Behind this idea, however, is a rich detailed analysis and argument.
I suspect that there are other white women, like me, who have delayed engaging with this book because of the discomfort of being seen, and not in a flattering light. Moreton-Robinson's zeroing in on this concept: that feminisms construction makes white womanhood invisible and unchallengeable at the same time is pretty much irrefutable. In the third chapter of the book, Moreton-Robinson details the ways that Indigenous women have been studied, critiqued and summated by feminist anthropologists. This looms constructively and inescapably over Chapters four and five, in which the lens is turned towards feminist academics, making the discomfort part of the point. Moreton-Robinson is never hyperbolic or mean: this is frankly one of the most rigorous thesis-sprung books I've read, and her concern is systemic power, not personalities. But her clear eye to treating white feminism as a subject is itself a reminder of how rarely this is done without some concession to the feelings of the privileged.
This is an academic text, and its critique inevitably revolves around academic feminism. Which is not to say that do not apply to activist and femocrat circles, because they very much do, but rather that the lens of explanation is very specific, as you would expect from a work coming from a thesis. Part of the strength here is how Moreton-Robinson treads the line between wields the tools of women's studies discipline in particular and undermining them. Chapter Two, for example, is a breathtakingly thorough* critique of modern feminist thought. It is a literature review for the ages, but also firmly establishes the main thesis.
Moreton-Robinson argues that the issue is not just who gets the default position, but that feminism, as a school of thought descended from the Enlightenment, has essentialism at its heart that prevents it from recognising different ways of being human. Indigenous epistemologies, which carry fluid approaches, are silenced by this framework. Moreton-Robinson also explores how the subject position of middle-class white woman supports gender norms, acting against the interests of all gender equality. There's a lot of history packed in here too - of feminist discussions of race; of Indigenous women's struggle in particular. I did find myself constantly wanting Moreton-Robinson to broaden her focus in those histories, but I think that speaks to the quality of her analysis rather than gaps. I had promised the book (No ebook - I had to go old school!) to someone else, but I think I might buy him a copy instead because I want to retain/revisit this material over time.
It would be nice if in the last two decades this book had become less relevant. But really, reading this in a week with no less than two court proceedings relating to Aboriginal deaths in custody, neither of which have been mentioned by white feminist media - not to mention the destruction of sacred birthing trees in Victoria - the following passage hit pretty hard:
"In this struggle [for self-determination], Indigenous women are politically and culturally aligned with Indigenous men because, irrespective of gender, we are tied through obligations and reciprocity to our kin and country and we share a common history of colonisation. Individual accomplishment, ambition and rights are essential values of the white feminist movement, whereas the family and kinship system in Indigenous communities means that Indigenous women's individual aims and objectives are often subordinated to those of family and community. Culturally and politically it is an irrelevant luxury for Indigenous women to prioritise white feminist issues over Indigenous issues for the sake of gender solidarity."
Moreton-Robinson finishes on a call for feminists to theorise the relinquishment of power. The book is not an end-point: it was supposed to be a beginning.
*I was mildly disappointed that Moreton-Robinson did not include Angela Davis - who does appear in the references - in this, but the fact that I have such a point gives a sense of how exhaustive the number of thinkers here was.
I suspect that there are other white women, like me, who have delayed engaging with this book because of the discomfort of being seen, and not in a flattering light. Moreton-Robinson's zeroing in on this concept: that feminisms construction makes white womanhood invisible and unchallengeable at the same time is pretty much irrefutable. In the third chapter of the book, Moreton-Robinson details the ways that Indigenous women have been studied, critiqued and summated by feminist anthropologists. This looms constructively and inescapably over Chapters four and five, in which the lens is turned towards feminist academics, making the discomfort part of the point. Moreton-Robinson is never hyperbolic or mean: this is frankly one of the most rigorous thesis-sprung books I've read, and her concern is systemic power, not personalities. But her clear eye to treating white feminism as a subject is itself a reminder of how rarely this is done without some concession to the feelings of the privileged.
This is an academic text, and its critique inevitably revolves around academic feminism. Which is not to say that do not apply to activist and femocrat circles, because they very much do, but rather that the lens of explanation is very specific, as you would expect from a work coming from a thesis. Part of the strength here is how Moreton-Robinson treads the line between wields the tools of women's studies discipline in particular and undermining them. Chapter Two, for example, is a breathtakingly thorough* critique of modern feminist thought. It is a literature review for the ages, but also firmly establishes the main thesis.
Moreton-Robinson argues that the issue is not just who gets the default position, but that feminism, as a school of thought descended from the Enlightenment, has essentialism at its heart that prevents it from recognising different ways of being human. Indigenous epistemologies, which carry fluid approaches, are silenced by this framework. Moreton-Robinson also explores how the subject position of middle-class white woman supports gender norms, acting against the interests of all gender equality. There's a lot of history packed in here too - of feminist discussions of race; of Indigenous women's struggle in particular. I did find myself constantly wanting Moreton-Robinson to broaden her focus in those histories, but I think that speaks to the quality of her analysis rather than gaps. I had promised the book (No ebook - I had to go old school!) to someone else, but I think I might buy him a copy instead because I want to retain/revisit this material over time.
It would be nice if in the last two decades this book had become less relevant. But really, reading this in a week with no less than two court proceedings relating to Aboriginal deaths in custody, neither of which have been mentioned by white feminist media - not to mention the destruction of sacred birthing trees in Victoria - the following passage hit pretty hard:
"In this struggle [for self-determination], Indigenous women are politically and culturally aligned with Indigenous men because, irrespective of gender, we are tied through obligations and reciprocity to our kin and country and we share a common history of colonisation. Individual accomplishment, ambition and rights are essential values of the white feminist movement, whereas the family and kinship system in Indigenous communities means that Indigenous women's individual aims and objectives are often subordinated to those of family and community. Culturally and politically it is an irrelevant luxury for Indigenous women to prioritise white feminist issues over Indigenous issues for the sake of gender solidarity."
Moreton-Robinson finishes on a call for feminists to theorise the relinquishment of power. The book is not an end-point: it was supposed to be a beginning.
*I was mildly disappointed that Moreton-Robinson did not include Angela Davis - who does appear in the references - in this, but the fact that I have such a point gives a sense of how exhaustive the number of thinkers here was.
November 25, 2020
A key feminist theory book. It challenges assumptions in the discipline and articulates the tension between academia and privilege and the everyday experience and expression of people at the intersection of race and gender
June 8, 2021
Brilliant and profound - an honest and incredibly well researched and formulated response to Australian feminism. 5/5
March 26, 2022
A must-read!!!
December 16, 2025
this was excellent, but very dense. I think a slow re-read is in order for this one!
July 18, 2024
An incredibly important read for all white feminists.
April 26, 2025
9/10
A great perspective into the intersectionality imposed upon Indigenous Australian women. Given that this was released over 20 years ago it still speaks true to a lot of unspoken privileges that’s dominate the Australian feminist community. My only issue with this read is that there was a lot of repetition, which can be justified by the complexities of the language used.
A great perspective into the intersectionality imposed upon Indigenous Australian women. Given that this was released over 20 years ago it still speaks true to a lot of unspoken privileges that’s dominate the Australian feminist community. My only issue with this read is that there was a lot of repetition, which can be justified by the complexities of the language used.
August 30, 2021
For a whole month I've been resting on my feeling about this book. It is important, incomparably so, but I suppose that for me this does not outweigh how hard (in two ways) I found this book to read. Hard because of what it was telling me, having to sit with my discomfort, something I went into this book knowing I would have to do. And hard because I found it difficult to move through...to read and to take in. I am a PhD student, so I am well versed in academic speak and language. But I am also a huge advocate for the concept of approachable and digestible academic scholarship. And that academic scholarship shouldn't be dry and hard to get through. Moreton-Robinson's book was her PhD thesis, and I can see this from reading that (and I mean this wholly as a compliment). I loved the chapter on the life-writings of Indigenous women, that personal connection was a life-line.
I got so much out of this book and I need to extend my thanks to Moreton-Robinson for such words existing, and for such knowledge and education from and through her words. For the content this book is 5 starts.
But as I read it, I felt that there were sections I had to read over 5 times to even understand a semblance of what she was trying to communicate. For that reason I have to take my rating down. But please read this. It is important and irreplaceable knowledge.
I got so much out of this book and I need to extend my thanks to Moreton-Robinson for such words existing, and for such knowledge and education from and through her words. For the content this book is 5 starts.
But as I read it, I felt that there were sections I had to read over 5 times to even understand a semblance of what she was trying to communicate. For that reason I have to take my rating down. But please read this. It is important and irreplaceable knowledge.
September 26, 2020
This book is very very heavy in academic speak and so can be an awkward read (had to check the dictionary a few times!). I have a Master's degree so I am aware of academic speak but this is, as I said, very heavy with it. Understandably so with the original purpose of the book taken into account.
However, the understanding I have gleaned, of myself, of white privilege, of the layered effect of colonialism, of white Australia, has been mind blowing.
I wish she would do a rewrite to make this knowledge more accessible. I would absolutely read that.
This is a must read for anyone who thinks they understand how white Australia has impacted our First Peoples. (And those who don't of course)
However, the understanding I have gleaned, of myself, of white privilege, of the layered effect of colonialism, of white Australia, has been mind blowing.
I wish she would do a rewrite to make this knowledge more accessible. I would absolutely read that.
This is a must read for anyone who thinks they understand how white Australia has impacted our First Peoples. (And those who don't of course)
July 14, 2020
As with Living on Stolen Land, I don't want to be the white woman talking about and appropriating an Indigenous woman's words. So if you've been thinking about reading this book, do it! This review is intended to prod people into doing so, and in no way is a substitute for Moreton-Robinson's own words.
I saw Aileen Moreton-Robinson at the Broadside feminist festival last year and she was intriguing. On the panel I saw, about women of colour and how they approach feminism, she was the oldest by perhaps a decade or more, and she seemed to get quite impatient by what some of the panellists were saying - and how they were saying it; she told them (in a poor paraphrase) that feminism is a white woman's thing and they, not being white, needed to think differently - and maybe white feminism wasn't actually what they needed. That's a very poor paraphrase, actually, but I think it gets some of the sense of what she said - and for me, as a white feminist in the audience, it was eye-opening and kind of stunning. I am in a weird halfway place I think between second and third wave feminism; I don't think I think that all women are sisters and experience oppression in the same way, but I've definitely had to work on fully manifesting intersectionality in the way that I think and act. The panellists too were intrigued by how Moreton-Robinson spoke; at one point someone (only half-jokingly) suggested the panel should be the rest of them asking Moreton-Robinson questions.
The other thing that really stuck in my mind was the fact that this book was published in 2000, and Moreton-Robinson had never before been asked to speak at a conference in Australia about it. Never. Nineteen years of a book that was the first Indigenous Australian interrogation of feminism... and conferences have ignored it, and her. That's a disgrace. There is, at least, a 20th anniversary edition out this year, and Moreton-Robinson seems to have been on some programmes (ABC Radio, The Drum), so that's a bit of an improvement?
So, the book. It took me quite a long time to read, partly because this year I have been struggling to read new stuff - which I think is the case for many people - and partly because it's been a while since I read any theory; it's not every chapter, but several deal with anthropological theory and feminist theory so I knew I needed to read it slowly to actually absorb what was being said. Rushing through would have been a disservice to the book, and I wouldn't have really appreciated everything being discussed.
Throughout the book Moreton-Robinson talks about "the subject position middle-class white woman" which I found challenging, in some ways - because as she points out, women like that/women like me are indeed accustomed to being the default. And even when I am aware that I am those things, constantly having it pointed out (like Indigenous women, like African-American women, like... etc usually experience) is a novel experience. And an important one. And is one of the core points of the entire book: feminism - especially as it was in the late 1990s, in some corners I think it may have changed a bit in the last two decades - has been developed by white women with themselves at the centre, and while we're busy interrogating various positions of power etc we forget to think about how, even in our gender oppression we massively benefit from (and help to support) racial oppression.
Moreton-Robinson begins my talking about how Indigenous women have presented themselves in their life-writings, pointing out the differences in those experiences compared to middle-class white women. She then tackles a massive job in looking at how various feminists have theorised 'difference' and 'race' over time and in different places - mostly white feminists, since they have been the most significant for Australian ways of thinking. And along with a whole bunch of interesting things here the main take-away for me is that white feminists haven't considered that they are white; that they (we) have race/colour/ethnic position. And then the third chapter was perhaps the most gut-punch, from a historical point of view: she gives an overview of how white feminist anthropologists have talked about "Indigenous women" and all the ways that has been part of the colonising process, which chapter 4 also continues to interrogate.
All of the preceding stuff is incredibly important and could have stood by itself. What Moreton-Robinson then does in chapter 5 is present interviews with white feminist academics (ask me how hard it's been to remember to put 'white' at the start of each nominal group... hello privilege), about how those academics think about race and present it in their courses and interact with people from different ethnic backgrounds. And this was illuminating and also for me challenging: who do I interact with and why, how do I present an anti-racist stance in my teaching and also live it in the world, and so on.
Finally, the last chapter presents a history of how Indigenous women (up to 2000, which I think is important to remember, since more will have been done and said since then) have challenged white women and their intentions and words. Which was its own version of challenging mostly because of how white women have responded to being challenged (often, badly).
This book won't be for everyone; I know that reading theory isn't going to be appealing for many. But the ideas and challenges that Moreton-Robinson present are vital for us middle-class white women to hear and acknowledge. If you ever get a chance to hear her, please do so. If you think you can cope with some theory, please get hold of this book and read it.
I saw Aileen Moreton-Robinson at the Broadside feminist festival last year and she was intriguing. On the panel I saw, about women of colour and how they approach feminism, she was the oldest by perhaps a decade or more, and she seemed to get quite impatient by what some of the panellists were saying - and how they were saying it; she told them (in a poor paraphrase) that feminism is a white woman's thing and they, not being white, needed to think differently - and maybe white feminism wasn't actually what they needed. That's a very poor paraphrase, actually, but I think it gets some of the sense of what she said - and for me, as a white feminist in the audience, it was eye-opening and kind of stunning. I am in a weird halfway place I think between second and third wave feminism; I don't think I think that all women are sisters and experience oppression in the same way, but I've definitely had to work on fully manifesting intersectionality in the way that I think and act. The panellists too were intrigued by how Moreton-Robinson spoke; at one point someone (only half-jokingly) suggested the panel should be the rest of them asking Moreton-Robinson questions.
The other thing that really stuck in my mind was the fact that this book was published in 2000, and Moreton-Robinson had never before been asked to speak at a conference in Australia about it. Never. Nineteen years of a book that was the first Indigenous Australian interrogation of feminism... and conferences have ignored it, and her. That's a disgrace. There is, at least, a 20th anniversary edition out this year, and Moreton-Robinson seems to have been on some programmes (ABC Radio, The Drum), so that's a bit of an improvement?
So, the book. It took me quite a long time to read, partly because this year I have been struggling to read new stuff - which I think is the case for many people - and partly because it's been a while since I read any theory; it's not every chapter, but several deal with anthropological theory and feminist theory so I knew I needed to read it slowly to actually absorb what was being said. Rushing through would have been a disservice to the book, and I wouldn't have really appreciated everything being discussed.
Throughout the book Moreton-Robinson talks about "the subject position middle-class white woman" which I found challenging, in some ways - because as she points out, women like that/women like me are indeed accustomed to being the default. And even when I am aware that I am those things, constantly having it pointed out (like Indigenous women, like African-American women, like... etc usually experience) is a novel experience. And an important one. And is one of the core points of the entire book: feminism - especially as it was in the late 1990s, in some corners I think it may have changed a bit in the last two decades - has been developed by white women with themselves at the centre, and while we're busy interrogating various positions of power etc we forget to think about how, even in our gender oppression we massively benefit from (and help to support) racial oppression.
Moreton-Robinson begins my talking about how Indigenous women have presented themselves in their life-writings, pointing out the differences in those experiences compared to middle-class white women. She then tackles a massive job in looking at how various feminists have theorised 'difference' and 'race' over time and in different places - mostly white feminists, since they have been the most significant for Australian ways of thinking. And along with a whole bunch of interesting things here the main take-away for me is that white feminists haven't considered that they are white; that they (we) have race/colour/ethnic position. And then the third chapter was perhaps the most gut-punch, from a historical point of view: she gives an overview of how white feminist anthropologists have talked about "Indigenous women" and all the ways that has been part of the colonising process, which chapter 4 also continues to interrogate.
All of the preceding stuff is incredibly important and could have stood by itself. What Moreton-Robinson then does in chapter 5 is present interviews with white feminist academics (ask me how hard it's been to remember to put 'white' at the start of each nominal group... hello privilege), about how those academics think about race and present it in their courses and interact with people from different ethnic backgrounds. And this was illuminating and also for me challenging: who do I interact with and why, how do I present an anti-racist stance in my teaching and also live it in the world, and so on.
Finally, the last chapter presents a history of how Indigenous women (up to 2000, which I think is important to remember, since more will have been done and said since then) have challenged white women and their intentions and words. Which was its own version of challenging mostly because of how white women have responded to being challenged (often, badly).
This book won't be for everyone; I know that reading theory isn't going to be appealing for many. But the ideas and challenges that Moreton-Robinson present are vital for us middle-class white women to hear and acknowledge. If you ever get a chance to hear her, please do so. If you think you can cope with some theory, please get hold of this book and read it.
May 13, 2021
“Challenges to feminist practice and the development of new theories inform feminists of the multiplicity of differences, but whiteness is not positioned within the new theories as a “difference”. Australian feminists live racialised lives in a racialised society, yet whiteness remains uninterrogated in feminist theory and practice. This discrepancy remains invisible, unmarked and unnamed, yet it is enmeshed in a politics of difference.”
Reading this book was not an easy undertaking, it was a real challenge, and I’m sure there were parts of it that went over my head due to the academic language used. Having said that I tried really hard to learn and understand as much as I could and I do feel I learnt a lot. My number one take away was the problem of the connection between race equaling BIPOC and not white people. “That is, whiteness is treated as the norm, against which all differences are measured” (Reddy 1994:12)
White feminists expect Indigenous women to come to the party so we can band together to fight our common oppressors, men and the patriarchal system. However as Moreton-Robinson explains, white feminists and Indigenous feminists are not the same. They are different and it is the inability of white feminist to see this difference and acknowledge and understand the privilege that comes with being white, that stops white feminists from stepping back and relinquishing that power or using that power and privilege to shine a spotlight on those that are more oppressed than them.
Its hypocritical to demand Indigenous women join white feminists because we are the same and we fight the same fight, when white feminists benefit from the system of oppression that marks Indigenous women as different.
This book is hard work but definitely worth it.
Reading this book was not an easy undertaking, it was a real challenge, and I’m sure there were parts of it that went over my head due to the academic language used. Having said that I tried really hard to learn and understand as much as I could and I do feel I learnt a lot. My number one take away was the problem of the connection between race equaling BIPOC and not white people. “That is, whiteness is treated as the norm, against which all differences are measured” (Reddy 1994:12)
White feminists expect Indigenous women to come to the party so we can band together to fight our common oppressors, men and the patriarchal system. However as Moreton-Robinson explains, white feminists and Indigenous feminists are not the same. They are different and it is the inability of white feminist to see this difference and acknowledge and understand the privilege that comes with being white, that stops white feminists from stepping back and relinquishing that power or using that power and privilege to shine a spotlight on those that are more oppressed than them.
Its hypocritical to demand Indigenous women join white feminists because we are the same and we fight the same fight, when white feminists benefit from the system of oppression that marks Indigenous women as different.
This book is hard work but definitely worth it.
August 28, 2020
Talkin' Up to the White Woman critically analyses the institution that is White Feminism in Australia and calls on white women to acknowledge the integral role that whiteness plays in legitimising their racial and post-colonial presence that allows them greater power when differentiating the 'norm' from the 'other'. Whiteness must be made visible as the central racial category upon which all institutions, not just feminism but all that it advocates for and against and within (politics, sexual freedom, education, economic equality, anti-violence), are built on and continue to be defined by, in Australia. By normalising this strain of feminism, that of the white, middle-class woman, it automatically sets Indigenous women apart as the radical 'Other'. For Indigenous women to participate in feminism they must either be 'civilised into white womanhood' or overtly racialised as the token 'Black representative' - invited for the sake of image than any meaningful involvement.
In order to be truly inclusive and representative, feminism must firstly recognise its inherent whiteness and then interrogate the structure of racial power that is fused with the feminist debate. If feminism believes that no female is equal until all female is equal, then it must shift its focus to centralise the voices of Indigenous females in this country, adopt a willingness to listen and to invite Indigenous peoples to speak about what they know about, rather than be talked over or pushed to the margins by non-Indigenous folk who think they know what's best for us.
In order to be truly inclusive and representative, feminism must firstly recognise its inherent whiteness and then interrogate the structure of racial power that is fused with the feminist debate. If feminism believes that no female is equal until all female is equal, then it must shift its focus to centralise the voices of Indigenous females in this country, adopt a willingness to listen and to invite Indigenous peoples to speak about what they know about, rather than be talked over or pushed to the margins by non-Indigenous folk who think they know what's best for us.
February 16, 2021
‘Talkin’ up to the white woman’ is a small book with a very powerful message for all Australians in particular ‘white feminists’ who, for decades, have ignored their privileged position vis-à-vis race. I quote: ‘White feminists have either positioned Indigenous women as anti-feminist or they attempt to include [us] by requiring [us] to assimilate white feminist thought’. Whiteness is normalised and ‘imbued with power’ and Aileen Morton-Robinson is highly critical of white feminists’ belief that they ‘think, feel and act like and for all women’.
What becomes clear in reading this book is that the subject positions of white feminists and Indigenous women ‘speak out of different cultures, epistemologies, experiences, history and material conditions which separate our politics and analyses’. The writing is dense, theoretical and sharp. I hope I have taken its messages on board for further reflection – as an Australian woman located firmly within the ‘subject position middle-class (highly educated) white woman’.
To communicate her message to a wider readership, Morton-Robinson, could perhaps compile a publication along the lines of Young Dark Emu: A Truer History, to fulfil her aim of: ‘stimulat[ing] new ways of thinking about racial inter-subjective relations and contributes to the development of understanding, respect and appreciation of each other in the struggle for racial justice and Indigenous rights’.
What becomes clear in reading this book is that the subject positions of white feminists and Indigenous women ‘speak out of different cultures, epistemologies, experiences, history and material conditions which separate our politics and analyses’. The writing is dense, theoretical and sharp. I hope I have taken its messages on board for further reflection – as an Australian woman located firmly within the ‘subject position middle-class (highly educated) white woman’.
To communicate her message to a wider readership, Morton-Robinson, could perhaps compile a publication along the lines of Young Dark Emu: A Truer History, to fulfil her aim of: ‘stimulat[ing] new ways of thinking about racial inter-subjective relations and contributes to the development of understanding, respect and appreciation of each other in the struggle for racial justice and Indigenous rights’.
February 24, 2024
I want to write a proper review for this once I have reflected properly, but having just finished it I can definitely say I loved reading it and wished I could of been introduced to it when I first started reading academic papers in university.
Update: an enlightening read and well received as someone who wanted to know about feminist perspectives from Aboriginal and Indigenous communities of so-called Australia. One thing that stood out to me was the stark contrast between what white women, who decide what mainstream feminism focuses on, push for in the feminist agenda and what Aboriginal women advocate for.
It was great to read about how and why these women advocated for the right to sovereignty as much as the right to their own individual rights as women, even when these individuals rights not only differed, but had been neglected, even obstructed from achieving, by white feminists.
It is heavy on the academic jargon so at times I did have to pace myself slower than I had initially intended to so as to properly engage with the writing. I am not a student of feminist studies however, so this may have been even better received by a someone who has studied it and writes on it regularly. I certainly learnt a lot more about it too via this thesis.
Update: an enlightening read and well received as someone who wanted to know about feminist perspectives from Aboriginal and Indigenous communities of so-called Australia. One thing that stood out to me was the stark contrast between what white women, who decide what mainstream feminism focuses on, push for in the feminist agenda and what Aboriginal women advocate for.
It was great to read about how and why these women advocated for the right to sovereignty as much as the right to their own individual rights as women, even when these individuals rights not only differed, but had been neglected, even obstructed from achieving, by white feminists.
It is heavy on the academic jargon so at times I did have to pace myself slower than I had initially intended to so as to properly engage with the writing. I am not a student of feminist studies however, so this may have been even better received by a someone who has studied it and writes on it regularly. I certainly learnt a lot more about it too via this thesis.
March 2, 2024
Aileen Moreton-Robison is a Goenpul woman of the Quandamooka People and I read this book on the land of the Kaurna Peoples Moreton-Robison had this book published initially in 2000. My copy is the 20th anniversary edition. And I don’t think things have changed. From academic views to social views. In Australia as a white woman I would say non Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples do poorly at providing any forms of equity or equality to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Moreton-Robinson breaks down different ways in which white feminism has not provided support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in Australia. Moreton-Robison provides strong arguments for differences that still occur today. This book has been life changing for me and is to me and my personal learning still very much a 101 stand point.
December 4, 2021
The 20th anniversary edition of a book I have always wanted to read have me the hurry up I needed. This book is for any person who wants to cut themselves as a feminist in any way. Aunty Aileen's research and analysis highlights the depth and deceit that racism pervades in the world of gender. Her insightful interrogation of the subject matter (the lives of real people) provides the evidence of the harm that feminism within a racist patriarchal society still maintains. Racism combined with with white middle class academia is a crucible of oppression. I am thankful and grateful to have read this work.
March 31, 2021
Some notes:
-If you feel like you're lost in some of the language, I didn't realise it initially but there's notes prior to the index that can explain some of it, otherwise Google was helpful viz. 'subject position', 'subjugated knowledges'
-Get the 20th Anniversary Edition as it has an essay in the back addressing criticisms of the original book.
-I read Ruby Hamad's White Tears, Brown Scars first, which I found easier to read as the language was simpler. That book relies a lot upon this one though, and is written from a different.. subject position? Am I using the term correctly?
-If you feel like you're lost in some of the language, I didn't realise it initially but there's notes prior to the index that can explain some of it, otherwise Google was helpful viz. 'subject position', 'subjugated knowledges'
-Get the 20th Anniversary Edition as it has an essay in the back addressing criticisms of the original book.
-I read Ruby Hamad's White Tears, Brown Scars first, which I found easier to read as the language was simpler. That book relies a lot upon this one though, and is written from a different.. subject position? Am I using the term correctly?
November 2, 2021
Despite being published 20 years ago, the issues and concepts are very current. She covers a lot of essential concepts and Australian history that most white feminist circles still don't engage with.
The academic language makes it a bit hard to navigate at times, however I think that is appropriate since the text is aimed at middle class white feminist academics in Australia. It's also aimed at middle class white women generally, and most of us have the privilege of access to university-level education making the book accessible to us.
The academic language makes it a bit hard to navigate at times, however I think that is appropriate since the text is aimed at middle class white feminist academics in Australia. It's also aimed at middle class white women generally, and most of us have the privilege of access to university-level education making the book accessible to us.
January 16, 2023
I skimmed this, it's a good overview of feminist literature and indigenous life writings in Australia. The introduction and conclusion give you everything you need, the chapters are backing the argument up with pretty exhaustive references to relevant scholarship. The argument is basically that white feminism in Australia is indeed racist and excludes indigenous women and contributes to white supremacist colonial agenda. If you agree with that, you can probably skip this book unless you want some more quotes to back it up.
November 24, 2020
Such an amazing read. Lucid and intelligent. I learnt a lot about Australian feminism. Morton-Robinson 20 years ago asked feminists “to begin to consider how to theorise giving up power in order to effect a more just and equitable world” she now asks us to privilege “Mother Earth as the epistemological and ontological centre of our theorising and activism, for her and for our survival as humans”. Challenging but inspiring words - a must read.
June 7, 2021
A truly insightful book working through the disjunction between the experiences of white and Indigenous women, and the quasi-solidarity that the former expresses fire the latter.
As Moreton-Robinson shows white feminism must be self-reflexive and acknowledge the role that it plays it universalising the experience of white women.
As Moreton-Robinson shows white feminism must be self-reflexive and acknowledge the role that it plays it universalising the experience of white women.
July 24, 2020
Essential reading for every feminist
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