Tiwi Wives: A Study of the Women of Melville Island, North Australia

Goodale, Jane C. Tiwi Wives: A Study of the Women of Melville Island, North Australia. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1971. First edition. Large octavo. XXIV, 368pp. Original decorative dust-jacket over white cloth with black lettering on spine and front cover. Although the Tiwi people of North Australia have been studied before, Goodale’s approach adds a significant dimension–from the perspective of the Tiwi woman as she changes through her life course from birth to the rituals performed after her death. Especially interesting and detailed material is included on marriage arrangements and directions as well as important rites of passage, such as the annual initiation ceremony and the funeral ceremony. Goodale’s descriptive record of her fieldwork among the Tiwi is a lucid and valuable source of knowledge of this remote tribe. Dust-jacket, binding and interior in overall very good condition. vg. Hardcover. (33517) $45