Talking Sideways

'That's the way it is with us mob. We were brought up to talk kind of sideways. That's the respectful, true Aboriginal way.' Reg Dodd grew up at Finniss Springs, on striking desert country bordering South Australia's Lake Eyre. For the Arabunna and for many other Aboriginal people, Finniss Springs has been a homeland and a refuge. It has also been a cattle station, an Aboriginal mission, a battlefield, a place of learning and a living museum. With his long-time friend and filmmaker Malcolm McKinnon, Dodd reflects on his upbringing in a cross-cultural environment that defied social conventions of the time. They also write candidly about the tensions surrounding power, authority and Indigenous knowledge that have defined the recent decades of this resource-rich area. Talking Sideways is part history, part memoir and part cultural road-map. Together, Dodd and McKinnon reveal the unique history of this extraordinary place and share their concerns and their hopes for its future. ‘Talking Sideways is a unique, enthralling and important contribution to the growing literature of place in Australia.’ – Kim Mahood ‘Talking Sideways is not just a great yarn. Rather it’s hundreds of sly little yarns all braiding into a big net that catches and carries a staggering bulk of knowledge about old, deep Australia. And about friendship.’ – Ross Gibson ‘A lesson in strategy, acceptance and perseverance, and a significant story for Aboriginal people negotiating the many challenges we inherit.’ – Jared Thomas About the Authors Reg Dodd, an Arabunna elder born at Finniss Springs, is a natural storyteller. At various stages of his life he's been a stockman, a train inspector, a heritage officer, a photographer, a singer and a tour guide. Malcolm McKinnon is an artist, curator, writer and filmmaker who has worked with Reg Dodd on a series of projects spanning almost thirty years. He shares a deep attachment to country around Finniss Springs.