1.Societal transformation is a natural process that is almost an un-stoppable. Cultural evolution in a society is also exposed to change, and therefore, it may evolve anyway because of mass human action in a society and also other eternal factors. However, these changes are ones that are sometimes unacceptable to the individual, and some may feel the need to retain their culture and do everything possible to prevent it from further evolution or disintegration.

In John B. Haviland’s ‘Old Man Fog and the Last Aborigines of Barrow Point’, the reader witnesses an attempt to prevent cultural disintegration. In this book Roger Hart first begins with endeavoring preservation of his Aboriginal language. However, this effort then develops into an all out attempt to preserve Aboriginal culture.

Haviland’s book relates the way of life of the Aboriginal people. Hart, who had lived there for many years, was the last surviving member of the people of Barrow Point. He recalls their ways of life that Haviland records in the form of stories about various things that Hart learned as a young man.

Central to these stories are the narrations of ‘Old Man Fog. He was an interesting hero of this land in his days. He was the type that would go about exploring the area in search of knowledge; often he would track the animals in this region, learning their tricks and also being exposed to their tricks.

It was through these attempts of his that he earned himself a reputation as a kind of leader among the people at Barrow Point; he was recognized for his enthusiasm and courage to explore. It is through such acts of his that he set moral boundaries for the people of that region because they all looked up to him.

Apart from this central relation, it must also not be forgotten that another major aspect of this book is the relation of the colonists with this region ( Barrow Point). Hart describes what life was like in this region before and after the colonists arrived here during the gold succession.

Like every other exploit of the colonists, this region too was sapped and destroyed of its rich heritage. The people living in this region were dispersed, and there few resources were taken away from them. In this regard, Hart explains his identity crisis; belonging to a society or group of people that no longer existed.

2.It is no wonder that the Aborigines were dispersed in an organized manner. The colonists that dominated the region and ruined whatever little the natives had; the small and pleasant world that the natives had constructed for themselves was stripped to almost nothing. It is facts such as these that have been recorded as authentic ones in this book.

The reason why they are considered authentic is because the author had consulted government records shows that he had not only relied on Hart’s words. Undoubtedly, this was the correct line of action, and it enabled verification of Hart’s words and his identity. However, the records of the ‘Old Man Fog’ would be difficult to verify because of the fact that there were no government records of him. Obviously, there would be no need to record such tales of the region from a political perspective; it is only tales like these that are withheld among the natives by memory and word.

As it turns out, the major part of the book that did need verification was the political and historic aspect. This is important because of the fact that it was the presence of colonists that destroyed Hart’s identity. His struggle for his homeland from then on was one that was increasingly difficult; with barely a language to hold on to today, saving an entire culture is indeed an uphill task.

In contrast to these aspects is the narration of ‘Old Man Fog’, the native figure. There was probably no formal record of this man who was one who gave the people some direction. As oppose to wasting his time in any other activity, he resorted to exploration; something through which he could set an example for the rest of the people.

Since these people were nomadic or semi nomadic, it was a gift to have someone like the ‘Old Man’ living in their vicinity. They were considered fortunate to have him living with them because he was perhaps one of the few men to set moral boundaries. In those days, these people lived day-to-day lives, and to have a man like him was indeed a major advantage to their culture, as it brought realization of moral understanding to them.