suggested answers
1) The squatter & his men were ambushed by aboriginal warriors. The aboriginal women & children ran under the horses’ legs to retrieve the spears. Eventually the settlers prevailed.
2) It was remarkable that the women & children risked their lives so courageously to help the warriors.
3) Indigenous Australians felt/feel very passionately about their land, & were/are determined to fight to protect it.
4) The answer here of course will vary. Here is a useful link to begin a search: http://www.samuseum.sa.gov.au/page/default.asp?site=2&page=TIN_Tribal
5) The aboriginal warriors were very organised. There were relatively large numbers of them & they had sophisticated knowledge of both the terrain & “military” tactics, suggesting that they were practised in repelling incursions by others – mainly other tribes, of course – into their land.
teachers’ notes
The title of this worksheet comes from the art exhibition Blood on the
spinifex, in which a group of Kimberley artists tell the story of the
violent appropriation of their land by white settlers. The point is that this
pattern recurred throughout Australia (& the world). (Spinifex is a type
of grass found in outback Australia, while native poas are found in southern
Australia.)
additional activity
Compare the squatter’s account in the worksheet with the indigenous perspective
below.
The Escape by Phyllis Thomas. Reproduced with permission.
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