Aboriginal Rainmakers: A twentieth century phenomenon

In Australia, the importance of water knowledge reverberates through the work of the Aboriginal Rainmakers, the highly revered Elders renowned for their knowledge of water business (Rose, 2007), and is evident in the high esteem in which they are held. The knowledge of how to care for Country (land and water) through dance, song and ceremony is passed down by Aboriginal Elders from one generation to the next. It is the men and women of this fraternity who are commonly referred to as Rainmakers. Throughout most of the twentieth century, there was a fascination with the mystical abilities of Aboriginal Rainmakers. It was an interest that intensified during extreme drought conditions. People travelled to the 'outback' and 'red centre' to witness an 'authentic' Aboriginal ceremony, and some expressed their curiosity and scepticism in newspaper columns.
It is not the intention of this chapter to provide intricate details about rain ceremonies or their associated rain objects, as some are sacred and only accessible to the men of the Rainmaking fraternity. This chapter does, however, explore and unpack the way in which the Rainmakers are portrayed and how rain ceremonies were described and interpreted by outsiders in newspaper clippings during the first half of the twentieth century. It also looks at the interest in Rainmakers during this period and why they were in such demand. What does this tell us about Aboriginal people's water knowledge and the perceived uneasy relationship of the settlers with rain, rivers and floods? While it is acknowledged that the language used in these newspaper articles is set in the historical context of its time, the language used and the assignment of 'fake' names like 'Pepeorn' (Shaw, 1946, p. 4), 'King Billy Willy' (Bowyang, 1930b), 'Mick' and 'Jim' (Plenty of rain soon, 1934, p. 10) to Rainmakers continues to affect outsiders' beliefs about and attitudes toward Aboriginal people, our cultural beliefs, stories, songs and ceremonies. These perceptions were influenced by early nineteenth and twentieth century literature.
Poetry and prose, as Shoemaker (1992) points out, 'characterised Aborigines according to damaging and degrading stereotypes' and made our ceremonies novelty 'objects' to despise or praise (p. 80).