Born in the bush at the time of first contact between her family and White Australians, Pictures From My Memory is the compelling autobiographical account of Lizzie Marrkilyi Ellis’ life as a Ngaatjatjarra woman from the Australian Western Desert.
Lizzie’s vivid personal reflections offer both an historical record and profound emotional insight into her unique experience of being woven between cultures.
“I want our past to be recorded for future generations to read and know and understand how life was for us desert Aboriginal people and how we live our lives now,” Lizzie said.
“The Whiteman and the things that he brought with him hugely influenced the changes that occurred in our lives and in our society.
“I am a person that experienced these changes and I want to share, from my perspective, these experiences with my people and with all these persons around the world that show a great interest in Aboriginal people, and with all those who continually keep asking me the same old questions.”
In this unique story, Lizzie shares her first memories as an Aboriginal child living in communities, through her schooling years on the reserves and the progressive culture changes that her family experienced, and to her work as a renowned linguist and interpreter for judges and politicians.
Introduced and edited by Professor Laurent Dousset, Pictures From My Memory was launched Tuesday 17 May 2016 at the Australian National University by Dr Inge Kral, Researcher in Linguistic Anthropology, ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language.
Pictures From My Memory (RRP: $34.95) is published by Aboriginal Studies Press (ASP), the publishing arm of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS). It is available from the ASP bookshop and all good book stores.
Media enquiries:
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