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Plants: Past, Present and Future
What do you need to know to prosper as a people for at least 65,000 years? The First Knowledges series provides a deeper understanding of the expertise and ingenuity of Indigenous Australians.
Plants are the foundation of life on Earth. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have always known this to be true.
For millennia, reciprocal relationships with plants have provided both sustenance to Indigenous communities and many of the materials needed to produce a complex array of technologies. Managed through fire and selective harvesting and replanting, the longevity and intricacy of these partnerships are testament to the ingenuity and depth of Indigenous first knowledges. Plants: Past, Present and Future celebrates the deep cultural significance of plants and shows how engaging with this heritage could be the key to a healthier, more sustainable future.
Plants are the foundation of life on Earth. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have always known this to be true.
For millennia, reciprocal relationships with plants have provided both sustenance to Indigenous communities and many of the materials needed to produce a complex array of technologies. Managed through fire and selective harvesting and replanting, the longevity and intricacy of these partnerships are testament to the ingenuity and depth of Indigenous first knowledges. Plants: Past, Present and Future celebrates the deep cultural significance of plants and shows how engaging with this heritage could be the key to a healthier, more sustainable future.
224 pages, Paperback
First published September 27, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 16, 2023
"Plants have managed to exploit humans, in so many ways that we - the apparent masters of Earth - might merely be vessels for the world dominion of plants."
An incredible testament to the power of plants. Their power to more than sustain the oldest living peoples, hold knowledge and provide continued opportunity for connection to Country. The book details how plants provided an abundant resource to Indigenous Australians through innovative land management, and how plants can support our future. My favourite chapter was on the Bolin Bolin billabong (located in Ivanhoe, so close!!) and what the earth core sample taken revealed about the Wurundjeri's history in this place.
It was both succinct and powerful. I can often get bogged down by non fiction but this was really well written, making it easy to read.
An incredible testament to the power of plants. Their power to more than sustain the oldest living peoples, hold knowledge and provide continued opportunity for connection to Country. The book details how plants provided an abundant resource to Indigenous Australians through innovative land management, and how plants can support our future. My favourite chapter was on the Bolin Bolin billabong (located in Ivanhoe, so close!!) and what the earth core sample taken revealed about the Wurundjeri's history in this place.
It was both succinct and powerful. I can often get bogged down by non fiction but this was really well written, making it easy to read.
November 25, 2023
The different authors here have quite different styles - with some entries being closer to encylopediac, some more reflective and others more of a historical narrative. It works surprisingly well, with a bit the feel of a rewarding read you can dip in and out of. There are some deep dives into particular plants, and also some chapters which look at regenerative practices in a more holistic way.
January 3, 2023
A unique and important contribution to understanding our shared country
September 29, 2024
personally didn’t get as much out of this one as the others, but still an enjoyable and worthwhile read!
general points of interest
- no ‘right way’ of spelling some words because the language was not written
- treelines (art at front of the book) - like songlines, maps of the land? though these weren’t discussed in the book
- didn’t fully understand this (re. power knowledge being in relationships etc.) - “often non-indigenous science fails to understand the vital importance of the specificity of place and the fact that our communities hold our knowledge, not individuals. it can’t be ‘taken’ or co-opted without losing its essence, its meaning, its veracity, its ultimate value. often the power of our knowledge resides in the relationships between people that tie it together. when it is moved outside of those relationships, it loses its value. too often our knowledge is seen as something that can be used or simply added on to existing western systems to serve the imperatives of others”
- western hierarchy: humans > animals > plants - ignores our reliance on plants, as well as their influence on us
- wish they went more into the potential future use of the plants like they briefly did with spinifax
- we need to utilise native crops - benefits us!!! suited to our climate, especially important re climate change, better for the environment (require less pesticides etc), better for health, $$$ - it is wild that our biggest exports are western foods such as almonds which are very water intensive, reduce biodiversity etc.
we need to rethink our biases around western science as objective and superior
- currently, western science is viewed as the standard - everything else compared to this, doesn’t matter what knowledge we find, is only valid if also ‘found’ or ‘proven’ by western science - but we need to remember western science isn’t actually objective!!
- “indigenous science is often perceived as lesser. it is continuously burdened with the baggage of having to be ‘proven’ against the assumed benchmark of non-indigenous science. many scientists today… realise the great value of recognising indigenous knowledge in their practice. however, this is most common only when they find aspects to support their own scholarship - if indigenous knowledge is contrary to their study or native, it is questioned, derided, or erased as myth or not ‘real’ science”
- “science is not an impartial, impervious collection of ‘hard facts’. it deals with measurable quantities, sure, but it is, like all knowledge production, deeply influenced by the societal constructs from within which it is seeded and grows”
- “all mainstream systems of knowledge production in australia continue to privilege non-indigenous ways of seeing and doing”
- the chapter examining the picture closely was really interesting - a great way of highlighting a key point of the book that our perspectives/experiences/biases influence what we see, how we do science etc. - there is so much we don’t know, but we don’t even know what we aren’t aware of (reminded me of the interpretation of the artwork from the ‘design’ book in this series) - so many layers of meaning most people wouldn’t know even existed
we need to rethink what/who is considered ‘authentic’ and thus respected/valued
- indigenous people/communities who are in urban areas, have adapted to western culture in some way “are perceived by outsiders as inauthentic, as having lost their culture, and this has effected a silencing of cultural values and knowledge”
- “if we attempt to get educated so we can make a difference, we are cast as ‘colonised’ aborigines who are disconnected from culture”
both women and plants have been made invisible in history
- the feminist stuff was so interesting and i wish they’d gone into it more!! it would be so interesting having a book in this series about gender in the first peoples context!!
- coming back to the stuff about bread that was mentioned in ‘country’: “evidence that the first women of australia were the world’s first brad makers challenges the longstanding view that the cradle of civilisation was in the middle east”
- 80% of food for communities sourced/prepared etc by women! disrupted notion of men as providers so was ignored
- the brief explanation of some of the factors that contributed to the undervaluing/representation on women was interesting! e.g., weapons often the focus in museums/galleries and mostly male anthropologists = “only had access to the cultural lives of [indigenous] men”
importance of recognising and protecting aboriginal knowledge
- “australian copyright legislation is particularly unfit for purpose as it does not protect indigenous knowledge that is orally handed down across the generations”
- while its great there is an increasing interest in native foods, currently only 1% of profits are generated by indigenous communities - this figure was INSANE to me - so much appropriation and exploitation!?!?! (factors contributing to this include - limited land ownership/access, lack of capital, inadequate legal recognition/protection)
- examples of western companies patenting indigenous knowledge/foods/languages, the concept of biopiracy etc. were so enraging i cant believe there aren’t laws against this
- also an interesting point re. associating native foods as a novelty/an add-on: not only is indigenous knowledge lost/under-valued, but “perpetuates the idea that [native foods] cannot form a whole diet, and within this is perhaps the continuation of ideas that we were a people and country of little value, barely submitting, just scraping together an existence” - implying native foods are of lesser value etc.
- indigenous food sovereignty movements - also wish they’d gone into this more, including how we can learn from overseas movements
general points of interest
- no ‘right way’ of spelling some words because the language was not written
- treelines (art at front of the book) - like songlines, maps of the land? though these weren’t discussed in the book
- didn’t fully understand this (re. power knowledge being in relationships etc.) - “often non-indigenous science fails to understand the vital importance of the specificity of place and the fact that our communities hold our knowledge, not individuals. it can’t be ‘taken’ or co-opted without losing its essence, its meaning, its veracity, its ultimate value. often the power of our knowledge resides in the relationships between people that tie it together. when it is moved outside of those relationships, it loses its value. too often our knowledge is seen as something that can be used or simply added on to existing western systems to serve the imperatives of others”
- western hierarchy: humans > animals > plants - ignores our reliance on plants, as well as their influence on us
- wish they went more into the potential future use of the plants like they briefly did with spinifax
- we need to utilise native crops - benefits us!!! suited to our climate, especially important re climate change, better for the environment (require less pesticides etc), better for health, $$$ - it is wild that our biggest exports are western foods such as almonds which are very water intensive, reduce biodiversity etc.
we need to rethink our biases around western science as objective and superior
- currently, western science is viewed as the standard - everything else compared to this, doesn’t matter what knowledge we find, is only valid if also ‘found’ or ‘proven’ by western science - but we need to remember western science isn’t actually objective!!
- “indigenous science is often perceived as lesser. it is continuously burdened with the baggage of having to be ‘proven’ against the assumed benchmark of non-indigenous science. many scientists today… realise the great value of recognising indigenous knowledge in their practice. however, this is most common only when they find aspects to support their own scholarship - if indigenous knowledge is contrary to their study or native, it is questioned, derided, or erased as myth or not ‘real’ science”
- “science is not an impartial, impervious collection of ‘hard facts’. it deals with measurable quantities, sure, but it is, like all knowledge production, deeply influenced by the societal constructs from within which it is seeded and grows”
- “all mainstream systems of knowledge production in australia continue to privilege non-indigenous ways of seeing and doing”
- the chapter examining the picture closely was really interesting - a great way of highlighting a key point of the book that our perspectives/experiences/biases influence what we see, how we do science etc. - there is so much we don’t know, but we don’t even know what we aren’t aware of (reminded me of the interpretation of the artwork from the ‘design’ book in this series) - so many layers of meaning most people wouldn’t know even existed
we need to rethink what/who is considered ‘authentic’ and thus respected/valued
- indigenous people/communities who are in urban areas, have adapted to western culture in some way “are perceived by outsiders as inauthentic, as having lost their culture, and this has effected a silencing of cultural values and knowledge”
- “if we attempt to get educated so we can make a difference, we are cast as ‘colonised’ aborigines who are disconnected from culture”
both women and plants have been made invisible in history
- the feminist stuff was so interesting and i wish they’d gone into it more!! it would be so interesting having a book in this series about gender in the first peoples context!!
- coming back to the stuff about bread that was mentioned in ‘country’: “evidence that the first women of australia were the world’s first brad makers challenges the longstanding view that the cradle of civilisation was in the middle east”
- 80% of food for communities sourced/prepared etc by women! disrupted notion of men as providers so was ignored
- the brief explanation of some of the factors that contributed to the undervaluing/representation on women was interesting! e.g., weapons often the focus in museums/galleries and mostly male anthropologists = “only had access to the cultural lives of [indigenous] men”
importance of recognising and protecting aboriginal knowledge
- “australian copyright legislation is particularly unfit for purpose as it does not protect indigenous knowledge that is orally handed down across the generations”
- while its great there is an increasing interest in native foods, currently only 1% of profits are generated by indigenous communities - this figure was INSANE to me - so much appropriation and exploitation!?!?! (factors contributing to this include - limited land ownership/access, lack of capital, inadequate legal recognition/protection)
- examples of western companies patenting indigenous knowledge/foods/languages, the concept of biopiracy etc. were so enraging i cant believe there aren’t laws against this
- also an interesting point re. associating native foods as a novelty/an add-on: not only is indigenous knowledge lost/under-valued, but “perpetuates the idea that [native foods] cannot form a whole diet, and within this is perhaps the continuation of ideas that we were a people and country of little value, barely submitting, just scraping together an existence” - implying native foods are of lesser value etc.
- indigenous food sovereignty movements - also wish they’d gone into this more, including how we can learn from overseas movements
March 5, 2025
This book was a really nice starting point in terms of understanding the breadth of indigenous Australian plant use in Australia. It was really interesting at times and discussed a lot about the wider lens of valuing indigenous knowledge- so it wasn’t super scientifically zoomed in on plants for the whole time. It was a great link between history and current knowledge on indigenous plants, I just found it a bit dry to read at times- but there are good nuggets of info there. It also talks a lot about the role of indigenous Australian women who were very connected with plants which I found interesting as they are undervalued in the modern day just like plants.
April 16, 2023
For such a knowledgeable book, this was very easy to read. It had a lot of interesting information including analysis of an old photograph but possibly my most significant take-home message was that everywhere is "Country" even in the middle of a city.
It sounds obvious when it is pointed out but it did make me think.
It sounds obvious when it is pointed out but it did make me think.
February 5, 2025
I feel like a terrible person for giving such a low rating. The authors spent so much time convincing the reader that indigenous knowledge is important, that there wasn't a whole heap extra in the book. I'm already on board, I already agree, I just want to hear the stories.
Maybe it demonstrates how far behind mainstream Australia is that the authors had to write a book legitimising themselves.
Maybe it demonstrates how far behind mainstream Australia is that the authors had to write a book legitimising themselves.
April 9, 2023
Interesting book with general and detailed knowledge about yams, spinefix and quandongs. Loved the scientific section of the Brolin Brolin wetlands using Western science core sampling to prove indigenous events.
September 11, 2023
A really interesting book and a very easy read! I really enjoyed it. My main criticism was it felt like some of the points across chapters were very repetitive. I really hope I can find the rest of the books in this series and give them a read too
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June 8, 2023Loved this. Zena's rich and detailed discussion of all the elements in the photo was my particular favourite.
August 24, 2023
Beautiful insight into plant technology, uses and knowledge. Concise, focused and important, just like all books in this series
September 15, 2023
Interesting reading.
February 2, 2024
Not perfectly written but I found the content very interesting.
February 13, 2024
Really interesting book and describes the relationship between indigenous Australian groups and their relationship with plants as food and technological uses. Did take a while to get into the specific uses of certain plant species but most of those pages were used to explain how colonisation has disrupted much of the relationship with plants in Australia. Overall interesting and educational
June 11, 2024
Wide-ranging and expansive, a joy to read.
July 8, 2025
so cool, trying to get an "eye" for land and flora here and such incredible knowledge
October 17, 2025
An excellent book full of interesting information about Aboriginal care for Country in the realm of plants and the food and resources native plants provide.
January 14, 2025
an awesome introduction to indigenous plants and the relationships people have with plants, and how important it is to maintain this special and extremely important connection.
September 18, 2024
From the First Knowledges series, this book introduces you to how plants were managed and could continue to thrive under the protection of First Nations.
Interesting insights into how traditionally created instruments catered to the landscape and immediate needs of those who used them. This was a gift and was informative in my line of work.
Interesting insights into how traditionally created instruments catered to the landscape and immediate needs of those who used them. This was a gift and was informative in my line of work.
April 4, 2025
The parts written by Cumpston and Shawn-Fletcher were enlightening, but the sections written by Head were overly academic and dense.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews