Bruce Pascoe’s new book may spark another culture war. He hopes for ‘decency and intellectual curiosity’ this time
News Source
•Fri, 25 Sep 2026 15:00:11 GMT
📰 What Happened
Author Bruce Pascoe has a new book out. It is called The European Mind: Colonialism, Capitalism, Christianity and How to Recover. Pascoe argues that Western ideas caused much of the harm done to Indigenous people. He names Christianity, capitalism and colonialism as the main causes. He launched the book at the NSW State Library in Sydney. Pascoe expects it to upset people. He told the crowd there would be a storm again. He joked that critics would accuse him of eating kittens. But he said he hopes for decency and curiosity from readers this time.
🔍 The Backstory
Pascoe's 2014 book Dark Emu changed how many Australians see the past. It argued First Nations people were farmers and builders, not only hunter-gatherers. That idea started years of angry argument. Some historians questioned his evidence, and others questioned his claim to Aboriginal identity. Pascoe farms in east Gippsland, Victoria. He has Yuin, Bunurong and Tasmanian ancestry.
🎯 Why It Matters
How Australia tells the story of its past is still argued about. This book will likely restart a public debate that families and schools already have.
Author Bruce Pascoe has a new book out. It is called The European Mind: Colonialism, Capitalism, Christianity and How to Recover. Pascoe argues that Western ideas caused much of the harm done to Indigenous people. He names Christianity, capitalism and colonialism as the main causes. He launched the book at the NSW State Library in Sydney. Pascoe expects it to upset people. He told the crowd there would be a storm again. He joked that critics would accuse him of eating kittens. But he said he hopes for decency and curiosity from readers this time.
Pascoe's 2014 book Dark Emu changed how many Australians see the past. It argued First Nations people were farmers and builders, not only hunter-gatherers. That idea started years of angry argument. Some historians questioned his evidence, and others questioned his claim to Aboriginal identity. Pascoe farms in east Gippsland, Victoria. He has Yuin, Bunurong and Tasmanian ancestry.
How Australia tells the story of its past is still argued about. This book will likely restart a public debate that families and schools already have.