Solid Rock
Puli Kunpunka (Sacred Ground)
Shane Howard
Pitjantjatjara translation by Ruby James and Trevor Adamson
Illustrated by kids from Mutitjulu, Kaltukatjara and Imanpa with
paintings by Peter Hudson
I’ve long thought songs like Solid Rock
would make a much more apt anthem than our current one. A song with lyrics that
reflect and respect this country’s First Nations people and appreciates the
land.
Shane Howard’s
‘passionate, angry song about the general silence masking fundamental truths of
Australian history' (Martin Flanagan) is so popular it has been reinvented many
times. Newcastle lads the Street Warriors rocked the Sydney Opera House with Howard in 2009 as the
closing act for the Deadly Awards and of course they also did a version with Shannon Noll
the same year.
The kid’s picture version of the Solid Rock song lyrics was published by One Day Hill in 2010,
but this year they re-released the work with a deadly CD included. One track is
Howard and Band singing in English, and the second track is Howard, Band and
the school communities of Pukatja, Pipalyatjara and Murputja singing in the
Pitjantjatjara language.
What an extraordinary thing to hear and a great gift for all
listeners and readers. I’ll be reading and singing this with my nieces and nephews
this Christmas and be recommending to teacher / librarians for use in school as
it comes with teachers’ notes also. Too easy!
And the best thing? 25% of profits from the sale of this
title goes towards youth initiatives in the communities involved with this
project. Too deadly!
Order your copy today from the publisher!
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