Living on Stolen Land

by Ambelin Kwaymullina

Living on Stolen Land is a prose-styled look at Australia's colonial-settler ‘present’. This book is the first of its kind to address and educate a broad audience about our colonial contextual history, in a highly original way. It pulls apart the myths at the heart of our nationhood and challenges Australia to come to terms with its own past and its place within and on ‘Indigenous Countries’.

This title speaks to many First Nations’ truths; stolen lands, sovereignties, time, decolonisation, First Nations perspectives, systemic bias and other constructs that inform our present discussions and ever-expanding understanding. This title is a timely, thought-provoking and accessible read.

There is no part of this place
that was not
is not
cared for
loved
by an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander nation
There are no trees
rivers
hills
stars
that were not
are not
someone’s kin

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, History, Indigenous, Australia, Social Justice

64 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2020

About the author

Ambelin Kwaymullina belongs to the Palyku people of the eastern Pilbara region of Western Australia. She is a writer, illustrator and law academic who works across a range of genres including YA, science fiction, verse and non-fiction.

Reviews

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was sent to me to review, at no cost. It's out in July.

I am an Anglo Australian. My most recent migrant ancestor is maybe 4 or 5 generations back. I am a history teacher. And I live on stolen land. I benefit every day from the fact that indirectly each of my ancestors (and directly, in a couple of cases) contributed to the displacement of Indigenous Australians.

Ambelin Kwaymullina has produced what the media release calls a "prose-style manifesto", and what I would describe as a free-verse lesson about the past and the present and the future. She's also responsible for that gorgeous cover and the internal images that help make this a lovely object as well as a powerful text.

Kwaymullina covers so much stuff that I want everyone to experience that I'm tempted to re-hash everything she says... which would be, as she herself points out, a white woman re-interpreting an Indigenous woman and that's exactly the sort of thing that really needs not to exist. (I'm also currently reading Aileen Moreton Robinson's Talkin' Up to the White Woman, so... yeh.) So let me say that she makes it very clear - in case there was any doubt in the reader's mind - about the original ownership of this land we call Australia; about the ongoing problems of the way we settlers talk about the land and its original inhabitants; and also points ways forwards as to how all of the people now living here might actually make it work. For everyone. As the blurb says, this is a "beautifully articulated declaration... a must-read for anyone interested in decolonising Australia."

There are two bits that particularly got to me. Firstly, as a history teacher, Kwaymullina's discussion of time is breath-taking (pp12-14): her description of linear time, where "Things that happened / a hundred years ago / are further away / than things that happened yesterday" - and is "weaponised against Indigenous peoples" and gives "the illusion of progress / regardless of whether / anything has changed". And it's that last bit that took my breath away. Then she speaks of Indigenous systems where "time is not linear" - cycles, instead, and "as susceptible / to action and interaction / as any other life". And then she points out that cyclical time is a gift and a responsibility because "The change has not been lost / for justice / for change" and I nearly cried. I have never thought of time like that and never realised that it was even possible that life could work like that.

Secondly, Kwaymullina has a very pointed section about "Behaviours" from Settlers, and the four different ways we might act. Those who speak well and do nothing, the Saviours, the 'discoverers' (appropriating Indigenous stuff for their own life... and the change-makers. And this section made me really think about the ways that I act, and have acted, and intend to act.

Look. This book is 64 pages of free verse that will gently and pointedly make you think about yourself and and your ways of thinking and your understanding of history and the possibilities of the future. I will read this book again and again, I will read it to my students, I will share it with other people, I will tell other people to read it. Every household should have a copy of this and I don't use the word 'should' lightly.

[Michael Livingston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard to describe this short, powerful book. It's 60 pages of poetic prose, outlining the project of decolonisation in clear and moving terms. It'll only take you half an hour to read, but it will have a real impact.

[ALPHAreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m going to say this is one of the most important books to seek out, own, and learn from in 2020 - and will go down as an instant classic, a staple of every library and classroom forevermore.

Somebody in #LoveOzYA community was recently asking if any non-fiction books exist about the history of systemic racism in Australia and the realities of being a settler-colony where sovereignty was never ceded ... 'Living On Stolen Land' isn’t non-fiction, it’s prose-style but *everything* is covered within. It's lyrical truth.

The poetry style has you absorbing blows of that truth not *easily* but in a way that really does imprint. And the blurb does proclaim its uniqueness (long-overdueness?) for the Australian landscape; “This book is the first of its kind to address and educate a broad audience about the colonial contextual history of Australia, in a highly original way. It pulls apart the myths at the heart of our nationhood, and challenges Australia to come to terms with its own past and its place within and on ‘Indigenous Countries’.”

I’ve long been a huge fan of Ambelin’s, and everything that’s in this book are ideas in the pages of her Aussie-YA too; but here they’re stark and laid bare. You can’t look away - her words bite and bare down and this is an essential book for *everyone* to read, not least because I can’t even begin to imagine how emotionally taxing it would have been to write and share. Wow.

I encourage you to buy this book now, to be part of the conversation that is sure to spring ...

There are no trees
rivers
hills
stars
that were not
are not
someone’s kin

[Anna Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ending my reading year on a high with this gem of a book. A short book (a mere 64 pages of verse), it packs a powerful punch. This book is a must read for all Australians ... it will teach you, challenge your thinking and inspire you to learn more. The language is stunning and begs to be read aloud (I actually read it aloud to myself) and there are a ton of points to discuss and unpack with older children and adults.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short powerful manifesto in straight talking prose.
An original structure these short pieces are organised under sections titled - "You Are On Indigenous Land", "Perspectives", "The Long Con" and "Pathways".
Leaves no doubt as to what has gone wrong, how differently indigenous people and non-indigenous people view the world, why some of these views are wrong and harmful, and how to move into the future.
Highly recommended.

[Carol - Reading Writing and Riesling · Rating 4 out of 5]

My View:
This is a timely and significant read. Ambelin Kwaymullina offers the reader a chance to “walk in someone else’s shoes,” to hear views and perspectives that are not often heard in the dominant Settler culture. It is a moving read in a stream of conscientiousness style prose that has a voice that demands to be heard, to be listened to.

“Ask How Not What” (p58)
Many Settlers
ask what can be done
to support Indigenous peoples
But there are many “whats”
Many initiatives
Ideas
The only people who can can tell you
Which ones are right
For which homelands
Are the sovereign Indigenous peoples
It is for them to say
What’s right for them
What’s right for their Country…..

[Emily (booksellersdiary) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This slim volume reads like poetry on the surface, but scratch the surface and its really a call to arms. Kwaymullina has given us an almost how-to guide for decolonising our lives, our cities, our laws and our policy. I highlighted so many passages and indeed entire poems. Essential reading for all.

[Dylan Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic synthesis of the position of First Nations people in settler-colonialism and challenges Settlers' thinking about how we view Australia's past and present to work towards decolonisation in harmony. Very easy to read and timely, would recommend everyone to pick this up!

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this 60 page booklet of prose-verse packs a bigger punch than any long form non-fiction book I've read on first nations people.

Ambelin Kwaymullina is a law graduate, researcher and author responsible for mentoring Indigenous law students at UWA and for transforming law teaching and research spaces to be respectful and inclusive of Indigenous peoples, cultures and knowledges. This is her third book.

She writes with exceptional precision, choosing just the right number of words to ensure I am left in no doubt that I am either part of the solution or part of the problem. Essential reading. Warning: this will feel very challenging to some.

Let it wash over you and ask yourself what you are prepared to do differently as a result.

[Michael Earp · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are Living On Stolen Land.
If we are to make any movement towards healing the trauma inflicted upon First Nations people (that is still being inflicted), we must first be silent and listen without preconceived ideas. This is only the beginning.

Ambelin Kwaymullina has written a clear and consise call/guide to action. I cannot recommend it highly enough to anyone who wishes to decolonise Australia and work (for it will require work on the part of us - the Settlers) towards a time that is built on respect, equality and care for country.

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Ambelin Kwaymullina’s work, and this little book is punching well above its weight. It’s 60 pages of prose about the stolen land we live on, the impact of settler colonialism on indigenous people, and the ways in which we as non-indigenous people interact with the traditional owners of this land. A timely and important book which examines what we need to do if we are serious about decolonising this country.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, poetic and to the point, this provides an accessible and beautifully written guide to , well, living on stolen land. Every Australian should own a copy. Some will want more explanation and depth - this doesn't cover the ground of books like Talkin Up To The White Woman or Songspirals, but the directness also makes the points plainer. I think a regular read of this will help me to stay on course. And the cover - so gorgeous.

[Katey Flowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Direct and uncompromising, clear and beautiful, this was a powerful read. It is short and easily read in one sitting, but I know I will be thinking on and returning to these words again and again.

[James Stanwix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a clear poetics that talks to settler-colonialism and how non-Indigenous subjects can position themselves/act in ways that begin to stabilise these structures.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a powerful book, presented in poetic form, but in many ways an essay on the topic of what it means to be living in Australia. The ongoing effect of European colonisation is presented in clear, simple, unambiguous language. It discusses how we can undergo a process of decolonisation and achieve true reconciliation. It provides much to think about, including how we all benefit from systemic issues and the prioritisation of time and deadlines over respectful relationships. Not sure it will get much of a workout in my primary school library, but a great read for all our staff.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got two pages into the library copy of this prose poem manifesto and ordered it.

Short, succinct, essential. I will read often. This is essential reading for all non-Indigenous Australians.

[Natasha (jouljet) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This is a force. A blistering call to action. 64 pages of prose, delivering to challenge Settler thinking. Directed at White Australians, for us to listen, think, consider, un-learn, and relearn.

This is truth telling. It's confronting, and challenging. Everything we need right now.

One I think I will read again and again - perhaps every Invasion Day like today, as move towards reckoning, and also Sorry Day, the anniversary of the Apology to the Stolen Generation, and during NAIDOC Week. This is important, and one to revisit, to get on with my own learning and growth and change.

[Neane · Rating 5 out of 5]

An approachable read that introduces the ways non-Indigenous people who call Australia home can walk alongside Indigenous peoples.

[Amelia Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book and usually I don’t like poetry books. It has a nice flow and I found myself getting it. It had a powerful message which I think gets across to the reader.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this is a powerful little book.

First off, this is published by Magabala Books which is Australia's only independent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander publishing house. I'm glad they exist and will check out more about what they do and publish. I'm also sad that more publishing houses like them don't yet exist.

Living on Stolen Land is a "prose-style manifesto" which is an apt description. I initially thought I was going to be reading poetry but that is incorrect and I think I was able to understand this work a lot better this way.

In some regards this is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander anti-racism 101 discussion piece. That does not take away from the messages, points and critiques of this book and the author. I even shared a section about biases to my family members to help them understand concepts such as unconscious and systemic racism. I am forever grateful for this book for enabling those moments for me.

Some other topics I found really engaging were centring around themes of time, listening and forging respectful relationships between Indigenous peoples and Settlers. One point I really liked and wanted to emphasise was the idea that the answers to making changes will look different for every community and Aboriginal Country. What works in one place won't necessarily work in another: that doesn't mean it isn't a good idea, but the how we get there is just as important as what we achieve for Indigenous peoples. Australia needs to stop treating Indigenous peoples as a monolith (and as a problem).

In short, I was taken aback by the simple power and wisdom of this book. It's a 2020 release so I hope more people become aware of this and pick it up overtime because it deserves way more love and attention.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every school, workplace (with or without a Reconcialition Action Plan) and large listed resources company (not looking at anyone in particular, but you know who you are) should have multiple copies of this available for people to read, discuss and absorb.

Puts into devastatingly clear and effective terms the importance of empathy, listening, making space for First Nations voices and the decolonisation and reframing of our institutions, thought processes and ways of life.

'Living on Stolen Land' interrogates the framework, actions and lens of the colonising gaze.

On 'time' (at page 14):
'Life doesn't move through time
Time moves through life'

On 'principles' (at page 19):
'across all Indigenous homelands
there is a fundamental reciprocity
that if you care for Country
Country will care for you'

On 'bias' (at page 41):
'Seek out the works
of Indigenous authors
playwrights
dancers
singers
Elders
communities
Not one story
not two
all of them
It will take
hundreds of stories
many years of listening
to create change'

On 'behaviours' (at page 47):
'Change-makers understand
that colonisers occupy space
and decolonisers yield it'

On 'humility' (at page 51):
'Humility means
not stepping in
to Indigenous spaces
conversations
but instead first asking
whether you should be there at all'

A really important book. Slender, but full of fire, power and common sense. Read this so that you can sensibly engage with any First Nations person you are privileged to meet and spend time with. Especially read this if you're thinking of blowing up a 46,000-year-old sacred site. Honestly, wtf.

[Tegan (Slant Postscripts) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I had collected my thoughts about this book I wrote a visceral response. The type that usually contain little to no sense but I think this one is worth repeating. I wrote “Beautiful, emotional, intelligent, insightful — everyone who purports to fight for social justice or feminism should read this and use it as a guide. Love it. Want to find a way to deposit it into my heart and psyche so I can absorb it, remember it, and enact what it asks of me as a white person on stolen Indigenous land but also as someone who is seeking out ways of healing and connecting within the bounds of justice and accountability”.

This is a book that gives me hope for activism. There is a collision of joy and anger into something so powerful that I wish I could harness and multiply it. I wish this power would be the guiding force by which we all approach policy and consciousness towards the original owners of this land so we can begin changing the colonialist structures that have done such harm.

This book is simultaneous depth and brevity, casting words in a way that gives them new meaning. It deals with the profound concepts of time, history, and interrelatedness but is highly accessible.

I am conscious of the pattern of widely positive responses from a majority of white people like myself. There are a myriad reasons this could be the case, least of all that it is just reaching the kind of folk who are invested in decolonising their bookshelves. In which case, great! I just hope that it is being read as radical reconciliation rather than for any feelings of comfort or absolution stemming from a misguided notion of palatable compromise. Myself included.

[Mentai · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found Ambelin Kwaymullina's poetic prose so affecting and thought provoking. Her work is a social and cultural pedagogy that will be informing us settlers who benefit from Aboriginal people's dispossession for years to come.

[Kit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a valuable book! Accessible, concise and mind expanding! It outlines what the problem is with settlers living in Australia, different ways of approach and what we can do.

Starting with the beautiful, meaningful cover every part is worthwhile.
We learn about:
-connection and relationship of all things.
-time can be empowering with positive implications. This is demonstrated in the most concise way in the book. The book is worth getting for this part alone.
-respectful structures in society and in our minds
-context matters
-it’s the process that is important and it’s ongoing
-openness, flexibility, mindfulness

With Western ways normalised and naturalised other ways are marginalised. To ameliorate this:
-we need to always check for bias
-read lots of indigenous author’s work to change biased consciousness
-check and wait to be invited before stepping into indigenous spaces and conversations. Then check what the most respectful way to contribute is. Respect and adapt to indigenous ways instead of expecting them to change to you
-educate and inform yourself about indigenous things and always be learning
-listen and communicate in their terms.

The book has more - and articulated better than I can without copying it word for word!

Can we embrace the incredible richness and strength of this way of being in time to save our earth’s extinction?

I want to get my own copy of this after borrowing it from the library. I highlighted most of the text so really need it!
It leads you into an enriching, constructive, liberating and respectful world.
It works as a kind of meditation as you enter into the alternative existence.
You get new possibilities.
It can also work as a good check for yourself to ensure you’re doing your best living in Australia.
All people living in Australia should have and read this book. It’s such a gift! Ambelin Kwaymullina has laid it on an accessible, easy, quick silver platter!
This can enrich everyone who reads it, including those outside the confines of Australia or First Nation/diversity interests. This book contains universal, pithy, basal intel that can transform and benefit all.

[Sarah]

It's hard to give this a star rating because the book itself calls into question the point of certain actions. I think I will keep my stars clear at least for now, not because I think it's not good and doesn't deserve any but because those stars a N/A. Not applicable. The words go beyond something that simple even though the words themselves are relatively simple if confronting.

I picked up this book not only because of the colourful cover but also because on the blurb it said that it is prose-style, instead of complete fiction novel-style or complete non fiction historic-style I did appreciate that.

This book for me, since it's a manifesto, is one that I will need to return to whenever I need that reminder of what racism and settler-colonialism is, something to guide me as a non-indigenous person who wants to be or continue to be an ally to indigenous people when I'm feeling lost on what to do. This is a book that i will hopefully be able to share with others who are like me and unlike me. The stars will flux, but this book is important and needed.

[Peter Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written and very thought provoking. I find it difficult to identify the best way to engage with topics like this - I usually have the attitude of "I'm not x, so it has nothing to do with me!" and take the back seat on social issues. This book opened my eyes to issues I had a vague idea of, but never bothered to engage with.
We're only human, we don't need to pressure ourselves to be knowledgeable & conscious of every single struggle and conflict faced by the many people we share this world with beyond ourselves. However, reading poems & books like this once in a while is a great way to engage with the experiences of others & understand how best to approach these topics in conversation. What form our input should take, when it is appropriate to inject ourselves into the conversation, what we can do to help beyond conversation - but most importantly; listening (something that I struggle with to this day, but I'm getting better!).

[Steven Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ambelin Kwaymullina's Living on Stolen Land is a thought-provoking collection of observations, opinions, and poetic verses that explore not only the ongoing effects of colonialism but also how white Australia can better reflect on its role in perpetuating settler colonialism and its ideologies on Indigenous peoples.

The book offers a fascinating insight into concepts such as time, nature, advocacy, and more, framed through Indigenous knowledge - a resource so vitally underused in Australian society.
A quick yet powerful read, it is not only informative but also challenges readers to confront their own unconscious biases

Unconscious Bias is such a strong component of Australian culture, it is always refreshing to see it articulated and confronted in literature.

Truly so many of us need to reckon with the historical, ethical and moral truths that govern the privellages that we interact with daily.

[Serene Conneeley · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You are on Indigenous lands, swimming in Indigenous waters, looking up at Indigenous skies.

Living On Stolen Land by Ambelin Kwaymullina is a short, powerful book that *everyone* should read (although sadly those who most need to hear these words of wisdom – including politicians, police and policy makers – will turn away again). It’s devastating and heartbreaking, yet uplifting, inspiring and full of hope too. And it leaves the ball firmly in the court of non-Indigenous people – to check our biases (explicit, structural and unconscious), to challenge our behaviours, to listen, really listen, and give space for Indigenous voices, and to work towards a decolonised future. Ambelin has also written several YA books, and written and/or illustrated some gorgeous kids books (she also painted this gorgeous cover)...

[Sam Schroder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I did not know that non-fiction verse was a thing but now I do and what an awesome book on which to make this discovery.
In Living on Stolen Land, Kwaymullina uses the power of poetry to express the challenges faced by both indigenous and non-indigenous Australians to find a harmonious way to move forward with respect.
I was really affected by the power of single words and the structural choices made in this suite of poetry that talks about the history of this land. ‘Listening’ had the greatest impact - if we are not authentic in our silence, in our willingness and respect to hear what our indigenous elders are telling us about their land, then we perpetuate the pain elicited by those who have gone before us.
A powerful and moving book.

[Jason Albury · Rating 5 out of 5]

I firmly believe we should be taking books out of schools written by Shakespeare and dead authors across Europe, and replacing them with Indigenous authors here, to help spread their stories and respect for this land.

This book is essential for every school. It might be a little too mature for primary school but could be perfect middle school students. We need more people respecting culture of the First Nations people and this is first place to start. I've already said Growing up Aboriginal in Australia is a must read, but this is book is your FIRST READ. It will only take you a day to get through but the meaning of the words will stay with you forever.

I LOVE THIS BOOK, and plan to read it every year to keep the information fresh.