Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence

by Doris Pilkington Garimara (2002)

Review by Ricardo de Menezes

The book tells the story of three Indigenous girls, Molly, Daisy, and Gracie, who were taken from their families and sent to the Moore River Native Settlement in Western Australia. They escaped and set out on an extraordinary journey home, following the rabbit-proof fence for like 1600 kms.

What really stayed with me was the connection between their story and poverty, particularly the similarities between Australia and Canada in the treatment of Indigenous peoples. The book reinforced for me that poverty in Indigenous communities cannot simply be understood as a lack of money or resources. Government policies dispossessed Indigenous people of their land, disrupted traditional economies, separated children from their families, and undermined their ability to remain economically and culturally independent in Australia the same way they did here.

One of the most striking parts of the girls’ journey was the contrast between the resources available to the modern colonial state (which had vehicles, telegraph lines, trackers, and police forces equipped with hunting equipment) and the absolute destitution forced upon the Indigenous people. Their survival depended largely on their knowledge of the land, their determination, and the traditional knowledge passed down through their family. That made me think about the Canadian experience as well, particularly residential schools and the lasting economic and social consequences of colonial policies toward Indigenous peoples.

My biggest takeaway from the book is that we have to be careful about viewing poverty simply as an individual circumstance or the result of bad luck. In this story, poverty and deprivation were closely connected to deliberate government policies that displaced Indigenous peoples, separated families, disrupted culture and traditional economies. It was a difficult story, but a very worthwhile read, and it gave me a different perspective on what it means to talk about poverty and its causes.