Remembering the Future

What can a collection of drawings reveal about their makers? Crayon drawings collected by anthropologists provide an illuminating prism through which to explore how the Warlpiri people of Central Australia have seen their place in the world and have been seen by others. In a lucid style Remembering the future tracks the return to communities of an important collection, six decades after they were made. Discussions with many people, journeys to places and archival research build a compelling account of the colonial and contemporary circumstances of Warlpiri lives. As well as the truths the drawings might speak, The book concerns itself with the beguiling questions that remain unanswered and the limits of scholarship. Substantial and fresh insights are generated into the crucial place of images in relationships between Warlpiri people and the dominant society. Remembering the future makes a significant contribution to the anthropology and history of Central Australia, as well as the wider emergent field of visual studies.