The inclusion of Indigenous studies in the recently released national curriculum requires the provision of literature to help students understand the past and current ramifications of indigenous protection Aboriginal people and the restriction of sale of the Opium Act 1897 (Qld). The inclusion of "Are You Ruthie?" by Hegarty is recommended to Queensland Education as one such text for use in secondary schools. A genre different from traditional texts that reflect European accounts of history, Hegarty's autobiographical account provides an Indigenous perspective while allowing students to connect past legislation and policy with the impact on personal lives. This essay explores the premises and implications of the "Act of 1897" and its various amendments on the lived experiences of Indigenous Queenslanders both historically and today, illustrated by extracts from Hegarty's autobiography, thus qualifying "Are You Ruthie?" as an appropriate text in secondary school Indigenous studies curricula. The dramatic decline of the Aboriginal population, coupled with the extrapolation of Darwin's theories of natural selection onto Spencer's "survival of the fittest" regarding race, stimulated the development of legislation to "protect" Indigenous populations from complete annihilation (Cunneen & Libesman 1995:34; Subsequent to Meston's report on the plight of Aboriginal people in Queensland (Donovan 2008:113) regarding exploitation and payment for work with opiates and alcohol (Castle & Hagan 1997:67); prevalence of abuse of women and children by white men (Donovan 2008:117-8); and the extent of settler population violence (Smith 2008:203); reserves were established where indigenous people could be separated...... middle of paper ......d teaching, 3rd edition, Thomson, Melbourne.(ed) Mellor, D & Haebich, A 2002, Many voices: reflections on Indigenous children's experiences of separation, National Library of Australia, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.Parbury, N, 'Aboriginal education: a History', in R Craven (ed.) 1999, Teaching Aboriginal Studies, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, New South Wales. Rycus, JS & Hughes, RC 1998, The Field Guide to Child Welfare, Volume III: Child Development and Welfare, Child Welfare League of America Press, Annapolis Junction, Maryland. Smith, BR 2008, 'Still under the act? Subjectivity and the state in Aboriginal North Queensland, Oceania, vol. 78, pp. 199-216. The Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium by Aboriginal Peoples Act 1897 (Qld). Watson, C 1999, 'Review: Is that you Ruthie?', The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, vol. 27, no. 2, page. 55.