AustLit

'Reading Kim Scott's Benang concludes my one-semester course on Indigenous literature, whereby I attempt to eliminate five fallacies of interpretation that students encounter while talking and writing about Indigenous knowledges. These are: anachronism, emotional appeal, (lack of) authenticity, politicisation, and othering. I will suggest a complex method of reading, discussion, and course development to avoid these traps. Benang can be used in class, in accordance with my approach to Indigenous literature, because, uniquely, the author showcases these traps as faults of the invading culture, and uses them as literary techniques, rather than fallacies of interpretation.' Source: Gabriella T. Espák.