Aboriginal Australians

Fresh Air Producer Amy Salilt talks with Peter Garrett, lead singer of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil, a band known for its environmental and political activisim. They have a new album called Earth and Sun and Moon.

Book critic John Leonard says many of the conclusions about indigenous culture in Bruce Chatwin's The Songlines are wishful thinking. But that doesn't mean the book isn't a great read.

Thomas Keneally recently won the prestigious Booker prize for his novel "Schindler's List." The novel tells the story of German Industrialist Oskar Schindler who, in World War II, created "benign" work and concentration camps. The Australian novelist has published several novels, including "The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith," which has been made into a film.

Aboriginal Australian musicians perform some of their traditional songs and talk about music's role in their culture. Two scholars discuss recent efforts to promote and preserve this culture.