Two Witnesses. "An Intruder's Guide to East Arnhem Land", by Andrew McMillan and "Yorro Yorro: Spirit of the Kimberley", by Mowaljarlai and Jutta Malnic. [review]

Abstract

The reissue by Magabala of the late David Mowaljarlai and Jutta Malnic’s "Yorro Yorro" coincided with the publication of Andrew McMillan’s "An Intruder’s Guide to East Arnhem Land". These radically different books address cultural exchange between Aboriginal and settler cultures. On one level a banal travelogue, "Yorro Yorro" is transfigured by the language and stories of Mowaljarlai, and fits, to an extent, into romantic discourses about indigenous people. It is no surprise that it is published in the USA by Inner Traditions International, a leading publisher of books on indigenous cultures and self-development. "An Intruder’s Guide" is a more sober piece of writing: McMillan combines textured descriptions of Yolgnu politics and life with dry but lucid historical narrative.