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2022

Durmugam Orchestral Suite

2222 4331 perc strings

10′50″

Browsing a bookshop sometime in the mid 2000's I came across a collection of essays written by the Australian anthropologist W. E. H. Stanner (24 November 1905 – 8 October 1981). Reading the first essay in the volume, titled "Durmugam", I was quite struck by the way in which the writer explored the humanity, spiritual universe and social worlds of an aboriginal man. The prose was not a calculated, factual historical account where an author objectively removes themselves from their own writing. Instead, Stanner's voice united social anthropology with personal encounters enabling a deeper connection and understanding of the topic. Stanner managed to look beyond his own world, see past it and through it whilst still within it, and to discern and examine a significantly different worldview alive amongst us. It is his combination of intellect, knowledge, insight and quiet that I feel makes him a man to understand, respect and admire. Stanner earned doctorates that were highly valued in the world of his youth in the 1930’s and he took this education as a responsibility to improve the world around him. He had skills in journalism that enabled him to fight for aboriginal rights as early as 1932 by dissuading police from retribution in favour of understanding in a matter that had made it to the popular press of the time. He had skills in diplomacy that saw him work for political leaders in the prelude to WWII. He had leadership skills that allowed him to lead military teams of soldiers in Northern Australia (the Nackeroos) during the war that integrated aboriginal and european soldiers against a very real threat from overseas forces. Later in life, as a professor of anthropology at the ANU, he was able to write, engage and advise the politicians and policy makers around him. It was Stanner who advised Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in 1974 how best to symbolise the transfer of lands back to Vincent Lingiari in 1975. In the end he was able to make profound changes to the way Australians thought about themselves, their country and their relationship with Aboriginal culture that are still being understood and realised to this day. Stanner’s essay "Durmugam" is an account of his friendship and relationship with an aboriginal man who fought for, demonstrated and shared a remarkable understanding of the stories and culture of his own land and world with Stanner.
Durmugam Orchestral Suite
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