Kirjahaku

This book is an extrapolation of the research I conducted for my doctoral thesis about my people’s struggle to come to terms with native title claim processes, in which we are required to prove our connection to land, culture and kin.This book offers a compelling and profound journey of Nanda people’s existence over time. It gives a robust understanding of the kinship and culture of my family group. It differs from others in the same field as it has been produced from an insider’s perspective; it is about my family, who are of the Murchison region of Western Australia. The book presents the ways in which my family continues to hold strong connection to kin and Country through traditional practices that have survived and flourished, regardless of colonialism. This has been achieved through the privileging of my family’s lived experiences and perceptions as told by Elders. In addition, I focus on the small details of our everyday lives to capture aspects of Country and kin. Further, insider positioning is incorporated in a critically reflexive way, based on auto-ethnographic accounts. Each chapter of the book focuses on particular ideas that were developed over the course of the study. The research provides examples of the historical and contemporary struggle of this Nanda family group’s survival and recognition as traditional owners in a native title claim. Particular themes were recurrent features in many of my conversations with Elders. The theme of identity, pertaining to how members of this family group identify with each other and with others, was consistent throughout the process and is based on the love and respect between family members.Readers interested in Australian history, anthropology, cultural studies and Indigenous studies will appreciate this book.

This book is an extrapolation of the research I conducted for my doctoral thesis about my people’s struggle to come to terms with native title claim processes, in which we are required to prove our connection to land, culture and kin.This book offers a compelling and profound journey of Nanda people’s existence over time. It gives a robust understanding of the kinship and culture of my family group. It differs from others in the same field as it has been produced from an insider’s perspective; it is about my family, who are of the Murchison region of Western Australia. The book presents the ways in which my family continues to hold strong connection to kin and Country through traditional practices that have survived and flourished, regardless of colonialism. This has been achieved through the privileging of my family’s lived experiences and perceptions as told by Elders. In addition, I focus on the small details of our everyday lives to capture aspects of Country and kin. Further, insider positioning is incorporated in a critically reflexive way, based on auto-ethnographic accounts. Each chapter of the book focuses on particular ideas that were developed over the course of the study. The research provides examples of the historical and contemporary struggle of this Nanda family group’s survival and recognition as traditional owners in a native title claim. Particular themes were recurrent features in many of my conversations with Elders. The theme of identity, pertaining to how members of this family group identify with each other and with others, was consistent throughout the process and is based on the love and respect between family members.Readers interested in Australian history, anthropology, cultural studies and Indigenous studies will appreciate this book.

Stroke of Luck: My Life in Amateur Athletics is a chronicle of passion and rediscovery-the emotional story of a dedicated competitive runner, Steven Kelly, whose participation in the sport spans fifty years. As a teenager, Steve searches for his niche while dealing with challenges that will be familiar to many families. After he discovers running, it soon becomes part of his identity.Steve's adventures take him across North America and Europe, and he fulfills a lifelong dream by running in the 2001 Boston Marathon. Along the way, Steve comes to realize that much of his personal success is due to the enduring presence of running in his life.A series of strokes threaten not only Steve's athletic pursuits but his life. By eventually returning to the road, he realizes new opportunities for growth. Steve's story, told with honesty and humility, will resonate with athletes in all sports and with anyone who has faced adversity in their life.