The Clarence River ran past our island. There were oysters on the mangroves, and we ate gibbras, the worms out of the mangrove trees. When the mullets came up the river, there were hundreds of fish. My grandmother and the other old women recognised the signs and knew they were coming. The gibbras – worms – were a sign. My grandmother sent us out to trap them. Then there was dancing and celebration, because it meant there was a feed.
Tag: Indigenous Australian customs
The Women’s Time has Arrived – Part 1
Even before I was old enough for school, my parents told me and my brothers and sister the legends of our people. An afternoon ritual in our familiy, it gave me a strong sense of who I was, and of the rich culture of the Torres Strait. I grew up knowing our traditions. As I grow older, I come more and more to appreciate that sense of certainly. If a culture is destroyed or ignored, it robs people of a sense of self. As a child it is important to know where you come from, and who your people are, your family and the people of your own country, your own culture. Now I am in my sixties, I know it is important at all stages of life …