Children’s book pulled after complaints over Indigenous petrol sniffing, alcohol references

Must not depict Australian Aborigines realistically

Publisher Pan Macmillan says it is “deeply sorry” for offending Indigenous people after temporarily pulling supply of the Macquarie Junior Indigenous Atlas due to concerns over its content, including references to petrol sniffing and alcohol use that were criticised for lacking context.

In a brief statement issued on Monday, Pan Macmillan said the book would undergo a further round of “sensitivity” reading.

“Several items in this title have caused concern with members of the public, and, as the publisher, we take their comments seriously,” the statement said.

“We are temporarily withholding further supply of the Junior Atlas of Indigenous Australia from today (15 February 2022) in order to ensure it undergoes a further sensitivity read.”

Bardi and Kija woman Sharon Davis criticised several sections of the book on social media last week alongside screenshots of pages explaining petrol sniffing and alcohol use.

"Hey @MacmillanAus... Just wondering the thought process behind including this kind of information in the Junior Atlas book for children, without referencing the cause(s) such as dispossession, genocide, colonisation etc etc?" she tweeted.

The page on petrol sniffing cited by Ms Davis discussed the issue without explaining causes for the problem.

“Since the 1970s the deliberate inhalation of petrol fumes has been a damaging form of drug use among younger people,” the page began, before explaining the health risks of the practice.

“In 2005, a low-aromatic lead-free fuel called Opal was made available. It lacked the ingredients which produced the ‘high’ sought by sniffers.”

“A large number of remote communities and nearby petrol stations replaced their standard fuel with Opal and the number of people sniffing petrol dropped dramatically.”

Another page on alcohol use was also criticised. “Although many Indigenous Australians do not drink alcohol at all, those who do are more likely to do so at dangerous levels,” it said.

In a statement to The Sydney Morning Herald, representatives of Pan Macmillan apologised to the Indigenous community.

However, the publisher defended specific sections regarding petrol sniffing and alcohol use, and said more information would be included in companion teaching notes to the atlas.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/children-s-book-pulled-after-complaints-over-indigenous-petrol-sniffing-alcohol-references-20220216-p59wuy.html

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