In order
to understand what the poem "Time Is Running Out" by Oodgeroo Noonuccal is about and
how it challenges Australian dominant ideology, it is important to know some details about the
poet's background. Noonuccal is of Australian Aboriginal descent. She was born Kathleen Jean
Mary Ruska, and after she married Bruce Raymond Walker, she initially published her poetry under
the name Kath Walker. She changed her name to Oodgeroo Noonuccal in 1988 to highlight her
Aboriginal heritage. Throughout much of her life, the Australian dominant ideology was white
supremacy. The concept of White Australia meant that immigration was discouraged, and Aboriginal
peoplethe original Australianswere considered lower-class citizens. Noonuccal became a political
activist to fight this white oppression, and her poetry reflects her political
viewpoints.
In the first stanza of "Time Is Running Out," we
encounter a stark vision of a miner violating the earth "for the sake of greedy
trade." The second...
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