The Eagle and the Crow (JM Field, UQP)

The Eagle and the Crow is a work of many layers – lyrical, intellectual and political – all grounded in Gamilaraay knowledge and resistance. JM Field (Etta and the Shadow Taboo) is a mathematician and poet; a Gamilaraay mari from Moree way, and a writer who gives a voice to the inherent value and wholeness of Gamilaraay culture. Written as a series of lyric essays, the book offers a poetic explanation of the kinship systems of Field’s people. In the broader context, The Eagle and the Crow stands firm in expressing how colonisation systematically attempts to devalue and flatten First Nations peoples and cultures, and the ongoing process of cultural recovery. Each part opens with two seemingly irreconcilable statements: ‘1. This will be difficult to express in the language of my coloniser. I will fail. 2. I will try.’ These may not be irreconcilable at all but rather reflect the difficult task many First Nations peoples have been asked to perform since colonisation. The destruction of language has long been used as a colonial tool to dismantle culture. Field, in contrast, strengthens culture through language. The writing is wonderful: complex, detailed and at times difficult to fully comprehend, driven by Field’s fierce intelligence. He centres Gamilaraay readers and addresses non-Gamilaraay readers as an aside. This is an intensely valuable book, particularly for those who are ready to listen.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Becca Whitehead is a features and content writer based in Naarm/Melbourne. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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