"...an Aboriginal family's struggle for survival"--Cover. "Archival records show the relationship between Aboriginal people and the government, as well as the dramatic effects that laws and policies had upon their lives"--Foreword. "The lives of Lucy and Percy Pepper, from Gippsland, Victoria, were affected by laws and government policies that defined who was 'Aboriginal' and who was not. This book reveals their struggle to keep their extended family together, fight for Australian in World War I, make good on a soldier settlement block, and survive ill health and poverty. Their story is told through correspondence between Percy and Lucy Pepper and government officials and Aboriginal administrators. The letters are now in the collections of the National Archives of Australia and the Public Record Office Victoria. 'Footprints' is a valuable resource for Aboriginal people who want to find archival records. In addition, anyone interested in Aboriginal policy in early twentieth-century Victoria can gain insights on the effects of past legislation and practices on individuals and families." -- BOOK COVER.

Bibliography: p. 131-132.