ABSTRACT
In this chapter, Gillian Cowlishaw describes conditions as she perceived them then, a strategy intended to reveal the problems inherent in the observation and understanding of cultural domains deemed ‘other’. She explored the ‘fringe camps’ around Katherine. The social life of Aborigines who lived outside, yet as part of, the clean and proudly ‘Tidy Town’ of Katherine, seemed to have little connection with the anthropological approach to Aboriginal traditions. While the symbolic meaning of mourning rituals have often been seen as more significant than the expression of emotion, she wondered about the degree of personal grief and pain of loss being expressed in the mourning, especially as wailing could be interrupted and recommenced at will and everyone participated in similar expressive activities. It is common in many Aboriginal communities to expunge reminders of the recently dead, such as their name and possessions, ostensibly to protect kin from a resurgence of pain.
