FEDERAL Education Minister Alan Tudge has said that Bruce Pascoe’s book Dark Emu should not be taught in schools.
Dark Emu, published in 2014, falsely claims that Indigenous Australians were not just mere hunter-gatherers, but were actually sophisticated agriculturalists.
- Despite proven to be a work of fiction, Dark Emu enjoys popularity among the Left.
- If it's being offered to school kids as non-fiction, the book should be removed.
- Dark Emu is full of misinformation that has no supporting archaeological evidence.
The validity of the claims have since been brought into question by experts, yet the book still enjoys support and popularity.
“If those [Dark Emu books] are in libraries, and they’re offered to kids as the truth, they should be removed,” Mr Tudge told 2GB radio.
NARRATIVE
Mr Tudge said people should not reinvent history with books like Dark Emu and should teach Indigenous history properly.
“It’s got a lot of traction because I think it suited a Leftist narrative – and so it got into the education establishment,” he said.
“We should teach Indigenous history properly as a very rich and vibrant culture before Europeans arrived in this country.”
The book sparked controversy and discussion about Indigenous history and culture, with experts like anthropologist Peter Sutton and archaeologist Keryn Walshe critiquing Dark Emu with their own book.
Sutton and Walshe criticised Dark Emu for being “full of misinformation” that had no supporting archaeological evidence.
SELECTIVE
“Dark Emu littered with unsourced material, is poorly researched, distorts and exaggerates many points, selectively emphasises evidence to suit those opinions, and ignores large bodies of information that do not support the author’s opinions,” they wrote.
In response to the criticism, Dark Emu author Pascoe wrote in The Good Weekend magazine that he welcomed the “discussion and difference of opinion as it should further this important examination of our history”.
Pascoe has also revealed his ideologies, saying he wants people and children to rebel against society and question and doubt the orthodoxy of the world, claiming it would lead to a safer world.
“We don’t need the kind of doubt that cripples us into inaction, but the kind that inspires a generous thirst for investigation,” he wrote in an op-ed in The Guardian.
CANCEL
Indigenous commentator Anthony Dillon wrote in an op-ed that as long as political correctness, identity politics and cancel culture flourish, Dark Emu would not lose any popularity.
“In a few years, however, Dark Emu will be seen for what it is – an attempt to win favour (and sales) by presenting the Aboriginal person as a brown version of the European,” Dillion said.PC
How this book of false facts EVER arrived in our classrooms is a question for all knowledgeable Australians to ponder loudly!
I entirely disagree with Tudge.
It’s very important that Pascoe’s book remain in the libraries and critically assessed in the classroom “Clear Thinking” classes, which should be mandatory. Peter O’Brien’s “BItter Harvest” and Sutton and Walshe’s critique should be lined up against, the arguments faithfully presented on both sides and let’s see where the kids think the chips fall. Could be one of the most interesting exercises of the whole school year! I’m still waiting for a primary school cartoon book of “BItter Harvest” to be published. Come on, Peter!
Mr Pascoe said he welcomed a debate. Well Pascoite devots and defenders should feel obliged to take him up.
For extra credit, the kids could debate the proposition “Mr Pascoe is a member of an aboriginal tribe”. What fun!
“Hey, kids! Join the dots and then colour in the picture of a man grossly misrepresenting a primary source!”
“Then turn over the page and read the ancient aboriginal story: “How The Goanna Convinced Academia He Was A Frog, And Enjoyed Delicious Little Free Snacks For At Least Two Years”! “
Next distraction from this shameless culture war bogan will be Anzac Day.
He will claim it is under threat. He won’t have anything to base it on, mind, but the LNP need something else to talk about.
Oh hang on, he already did that.
Dark Emu has been shown to be a complete fabrication, mocked by any serious scholars. Similarly Bruce Pascoe’s claim of being aboriginal have similarly been completely discredited. The book is a load of rubbish written by a Walter Mitty-esque charlatan. Almost as much as a charlatan as Tudge when he introduced a bogus Act to hide what Morrison and the rest are doing in their equally, as Dark Emu, discredited ‘National Cabinet’. When Tudge said “Like the Commonwealth cabinet and its committees, the maintenance of confidentiality is essential to enable full and frank discussion between the representatives of all jurisdictions,” he knew he was lying. The whole purpose of his BS bill is for the draconian, feckless politicians to be able to hide what they are doing from the Australian people. Because they know they would be dragged out and tar and feathered if the people learned the truth.
‘If those [Dark Emu books] are in libraries, and they’re offered to kids as the truth, they should be removed,” Mr Tudge told 2GB radio.’
There are two words in Tudge’s statement that are cause for great concern: “If” and “should”. Tudge is paid handsomely by the taxpayers of Australia, and one would reasonably expect, given this simple fact, that:
(a) He would know if works of fiction that constitute left-wing propaganda are in school libraries, and
(b) If they are, that he would act decisively to have them removed forthwith.
If he can neither stay abreast of the knowledge that is germane with regards to his portfolio nor force educational bureaucrats to bend to the will of the taxpayers by whom they are employed, he should resign and hand over to someone who can.
“We should teach Indigenous history properly as a very rich and vibrant culture before Europeans arrived […]”.
LOL – a sop to the left; there’s the give-away that Tudge doesn’t have the spine to do his job.
They’re going to call you a racist Morrie. Be careful.
What a ridiculous attempt to whip up a culture war.
Tudge and Co’s attempt to govern have been exposed as a pathetically joke. No agenda, no objectives, no reforms to purse, nothing. That’s why they are getting smashed in the polls.
These idiotic distractions are the only tricks the LNP has left.
Exposed as being lying, self-serving traitors does hurt. Your response is gold.