Wisdom Man: Banjo Clarke

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful Narrative
Review: "Wisdom Man" is an oral history of Australian aboriginal life as seen and experienced through the eyes of one man. Raised in the bush by the old people of his tribe, Banjo Clarke learned to live off the land and to survive as his people had for centuries. As he grew to manhood, he found himself caught between two cultures, his and the white man's. As the years passed the Australian regional government seized more aboriginal land and many natives were forced to seek work from whites that viewed them as lazy blacks.

Despite this Banjo grew into a remarkable man who years later became a preserver of his native culture and wisdom. Over the years, he helped many people and opened his house to troubled youth of all races and cultures. He became philosopher, teacher, spiritual advisor, and foster father to generations of people who left his company the better for having known him.

Camilla Chance, the author, who recorded Banjo's life is mentioned often in his narrative as an admired friend who understood and respected the aboriginal way of life. At the end of Banjo's narrative, Chance in turn describes how they met and their friendship throughout the years. She tells of going to the Framlingham Aboriginal Settlement with other members of the Bahai Faith. Chance also speaks about her faith and how it is in accordance with aboriginal principles. We learn of the deep and abiding friendship Banjo had with Chance and her family and his spiritual connection to her son David.

I thought Banjo's narrative interesting. It reminded me of the old storytellers of my own Caribbean culture. I enjoyed reading it and found Banjo's perception of his world to be Zen like. He did not seek to control and change his environment only to live in it with respect.

At the back of the book there are other brief essays and poems by members of Banjo's family and some of his friends. All this adds to the quality of the work and helps to make this man real to people who are not familiar with Aboriginal or Australian culture. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning about other cultures and places, or students of nature both in the broad and narrow sense.