We Are Going

We Are Going is a groundbreaking 1964 poetry collection by Aboriginal Australian author Oodgeroo Noonuccal, published under her birth name Kath Walker. The work stands as the first published collection of poetry by an Aboriginal Australian writer. The collection contains 29 poems that address Indigenous rights, racial discrimination, and cultural identity in Australia. Noonuccal draws from her experiences as an Aboriginal rights activist and her connection to her Noonuccal heritage. The book was dedicated to the Federal Council of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Advancement and includes works like "Aboriginal Charter of Rights," "The Dispossessed," and the titular poem "We Are Going." Each piece maintains a clear focus on social justice and Aboriginal perspectives. Through direct and uncompromising verse, We Are Going presents themes of resistance, cultural preservation, and the ongoing struggle for Indigenous rights in Australia. The collection marks a significant moment in Australian literary history, giving voice to Aboriginal experiences and perspectives that had been historically excluded from the nation's literature.

Readers emphasize the historical significance of this 1964 poetry collection as the first published book by an Aboriginal Australian author. Many note how the poems document Indigenous perspectives on colonization and environmental destruction. Readers appreciate: - Raw emotional honesty about cultural loss - Accessible language that avoids complexity - Strong sense of place and connection to land - Documentation of Aboriginal rights struggles Common criticisms: - Simple, direct writing style can feel unpolished - Some poems read as political statements rather than art - Limited range of poetic techniques Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (97 ratings) No Amazon/other major retail ratings available From reader reviews: "The straightforward style makes the pain and anger impossible to ignore" - Goodreads reviewer "More historically important than poetically accomplished" - AustLit user "Required reading for understanding Indigenous Australian perspectives" - LibraryThing review

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🔸 Published in 1964, "We Are Going" was the first book of poetry published by an Aboriginal Australian, making it a historic milestone in Australian literature. 🔸 Before embracing her traditional name Oodgeroo Noonuccal, the author was known as Kath Walker and made the change to honor her Aboriginal heritage as a member of the Noonuccal people of Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island). 🔸 The title poem "We Are Going" became one of the most widely taught poems in Australian schools, bringing Indigenous perspectives into mainstream education for the first time. 🔸 The book sold over 10,000 copies in its first year - a remarkable achievement for a poetry collection in 1960s Australia and proof of the growing public interest in Aboriginal voices. 🔸 Oodgeroo Noonuccal was not only a poet but also a political activist who helped campaign for the successful 1967 referendum that formally recognized Aboriginal people in Australia's census and allowed federal laws to be made for them.