Dark Emu is a seminal publication by Bruce Pascoe, reexamining the colonial accounts of Aboriginal people in Australia, and unfurling evidence of pre-colonial agriculture, engineering and building construction by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

In his most highly regarded project to date, Pascoe calls for the reconsideration of the 'hunter-gatherer' tag historically used to describe pre-colonial Indigenous Australians while rebutting the colonial myths that have justified the dispossession of Aboriginal people from their land. Pascoe provides compelling evidence from the diaries of early explorers that suggests that systems of food production and land management have been grossly understated, against a backdrop of unquestionable political motives.

Dark Emu highlights the need for a modern retelling of early First Nations history, in order to address the current asymmetries between the valuation of First Nations and western sciences. The book provides a new look at Australia's history, one which celebrates years of scientific ingenuity, data collection, genetic engineering and climate management across what may be one of the longest stretching continuous design projects to date. The book is a seminal reference when looking to chart a course away from the narratives which typify Australia’s colonial past, present and future.

This text was the result of online research and a reading of the publication, borrowing from the publisher's official description of the text.