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The Eagle and the Crow
by JM Field

A unique exploration into Indigenous ways of knowing, being and relating, with an in-depth focus on kinship systems and how their cyclical nature foiled attempts by missionaries to destroy them.

A$24.99

(Paperback)

Ships on 29/07/2025

Overview

Part instruction manual and part philosophical text, The Eagle and the Crow is a profound work of First Nations knowledge and research. Written as a series of lyric essays, JM Field’s book traverses Gamilaraay conceptions of time and place, the ways English can quietly disrupt languages and cultures, and the form and practical functions of kinship systems. Most importantly, Field’s fascinating insights from mathematics offer a map for the revitalisation of Gamilaraay social structures once prohibited during the Missionary Era. Generous yet restrained, this collection is an important act of resistance.

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Reviews

Richard Bell, artist and activist

‘This is something I should have learnt in my early teens.’

Maurial Spearim, Gamilaraay actor and playwright

‘Your book – our Ancestors cry with joy.’

Aurora Milroy, Palyku legal scholar and Director of Policy at the National Native Title Council

‘A beautifully written and valuable work of Gamilaraay knowledge which brings the rich nuance of Indigenous philosophies to the fore.’

Aunty Cilla Strasek, Gamilaraay-Yuwaalaraay Language educator

‘It's not easy to say out loud what others may not understand or might not want to understand, and it takes courage to say out loud what others might whisper.’

Distinguished Professor Larissa Behrendt

‘JM Field has brought together his scholarship and cultural knowledge in an innovative and lyrical exploration of how we are connected. This is a unique, stunning and groundbreaking thesis about what it means to be First Nations, how we are connected and the deep mathematical beauty that sits within our kinship systems. Complex, inspiring and hopeful.’

Professor Tony Birch

‘Jared Field has produced a breathtaking book of poetic and cultural vitality. His deep love for Gamiliaraay knowledge and Country is evident in each sentence, every word. The Eagle and the Crow is a work of deep respect. Read it and express gratitude. Read it and understand the power of humility.’

JM Field

Dr JM Field (Spearim) is a Gamilaraay mari from Moree way, but grew up on Darug land in a small town along the Great Dividing Range. He studied maths and French literature at the University of Sydney, before completing a doctorate at Balliol College, Oxford. He remains a research mathematician, with a focus on the mathematics and genetics of traditional kinship systems. He is also the author of Etta and the Shadow Taboo, which was highly commended for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards (Indigenous Writing) as well as shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards (Children’s Literature).