The Dark Emu Story on ABC – A powerful and thought-provoking documentary that explores the cultural impact of Bruce Pascoe’s Dark Emu – the publishing phenomenon that challenged Australia to rethink its history and ignited a debate that continues to rage.
Bruce Pascoe’s 2014 best-selling book – using first-hand source material from British explorers – argues that First Nations people were not only hunters and gatherers but also farmers who were part of a complex economic system.
But Dark Emu has ignited a fierce debate, sparking searing criticism. Academics Peter Sutton and Keryn Walshe published a stinging rebuff of the book, rejecting Pascoe’s theory of Indigenous agriculture, while conservative commentators poured scorn upon Pascoe’s work and questioned his knowledge of First Australians.
Featuring contributions from Bruce Pascoe, anthropologist Professor Marcia Langton and broadcaster Stan Grant, as well as interviews with academic Peter Sutton, The Dark Emu Story is a documentary that delves into the controversy and enables First Nations people to share their remarkable stories that enlighten our understanding of Australian history.
Production credit: A Blackfella Films production for the ABC in association with Screen Australia, Screen NSW, and VicScreen. Executive Producers: Darren Dale, Jacob Hickey and Belinda Mravicic. ABC Executive Producer: Kelrick Martin.
The Dark Emu Story – Tuesday 18 July at 8.30pm on ABC TV and ABC iview
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