Belonging by Ambelin Kwaymullina

 

"When colonisers came here they brought with them a different kind of story

It was called terra nullius and it said that you could own a place

by claiming that the people who live there are less than you

The terra nullius story was used to dispossess First Nations peoples

and claim ownership of First Nations Countries"

The text of this book is one I would share with a group of older students (aged 10+) without reference to the illustrations which to my eye are misaligned with the serious issues of colonisation and the belonging of First Nations peoples. It is so important for our students to understand that Australia was not a 'terra nullius' back when western explorers arrived. Having shared the text I would then re-read this book and show each full page. The one that resonated most strongly with me is the one with the text I have quoted at the top of this post. 

Thanks to Magabala Books for my review copy of Belonging. Read this thoughtful and detailed review by The Bottom Shelf.

Publisher blurb: Belonging is a First Nations poetic reflection on Country and the everlasting ties that bind us. A lyrical narrative full of the eternal interconnectedness of our families: land, water, sky, earth, space, time, story and language. Belonging shows us how to ‘be here’, to listen, and to care for connections between people and place. Belonging shows we must respect what came before: from Creation to terra nullius, to now, a history and a way of being that shows us how to belong and how we belong.

Illustrated in Kwaymullina’s colourful, entrancing and joyful style, Belonging is the kind of book whose text and images you will return to for years to come, discovering details, nuance, and thought-provoking connections you didn’t notice before.  Readings Melbourne

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

Other books by Ambelin Kwaymullina: