AustLit

'Paddy Compass Namadbara, Portrait of a Western Arnhem Land Clever Man offers a unique perspective on the life and making of this Western Arnhem clever man or marrkidjbu.Born at the end of the 19th Century when the Western world had scarcely touched Arnhem Land, Paddy Compass Namadbara acted as a healer for his countrymen and became a powerful and revered leader. Using his clever abilities and wisdom to nurture his community, he enabled the community to deal with the cultural and social changes of the encroaching Western world. He achieved the reputation of being one of the most powerful and clever of traditional marrkidjbu described as 'a proper number one champion!' Based on stories told by people who had been helped, sometimes profoundly and in extraordinary ways by Paddy Compass, this unique biography looks at his life through the eyes of his Western Arnhem countrymen who witnessed his extraordinary abilities. Researcher Ian White encourages readers to give greater consideration to the reality of the extraordinary abilities of clever people such as Paddy Compass.' (Publication summary)