This stunning collection of essays by highly successful Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women is a testament to their courage, resilience and tenacity. Each woman has been an inspiration in her field and a driving force in the fight to secure a better future. Us Women, Our Ways, Our World was born from a profound commitment to provide a space for Indigenous Australian women to reflect upon and identify aspects of their lives that have enabled them to become the women they are today. Share the personal and aspirational in these thought-provoking essays.

A collection of writings on women and Aboriginal identity from 15 senior Indigenous academics and community leaders. The collection engages with questions such as: What makes Aboriginal women strong? Why are grandmothers so important (even ones never met)? How is the connection to country different for Aboriginal people compared to non-Aboriginal people's love of nature or sense of belonging to an area? What is Aboriginal spirituality?

Contents:
Introduction / Darlene Oxenham and Jill Milroy -- Separated in 1944 / Mary Terszak -- Wind spirit: Nanna's legacy / Cheryl Kickett-Tucker and Shirley Harris -- Desperately seeking Emily / Tjalaminu Mia -- Truth and consequence / Mary-Ann Bin Sallik -- Aboriginal women and leadership: up close and personal / Joan Winch -- "Will the real me please stand up?" / Jeannie Herbert -- The creators of the future: women, law and telling stories in country / Ambelin Kwaymullina -- Mothers of sin : Indigenous women's perceptions of their identiry and gender / Pat Dudgeon -- Standing our ground and telling the one true story / Irene Watson -- Indigenous voices: positioning ourselves in the contested space of Indigenous and western intellectual traditions / Nerida Blair -- How to (not) define Aboriginal lesbian identity / Sandy O'Sullivan -- Interrogating gender: what's race and class got to do with it? / Dawn Bessarab -- "Are you one of those throw backs?" : the invisibility of a fair-complexioned Aboriginal woman / Lyn Henderson-Yates -- As black women do: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women's resilience / Vanessa Lee.

Includes bibliographical references.