#Torres Strait Islander culture

[arthistoryanimalia]

For #BatAppreciationWeek:

Artist: Billy Missi (1970-2012) Sapur Au Kubi (Dark Flock of Bats), 2006 linocut print 12/90 69x100cm Cairns Art Gallery

Artist info:

Place of Birth Mabuiag (Jervis Island), Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia Language Group Kala Lagaw Ya. Totem: Koedal, Kaigas, Dhangal Clan Group Wagedagam, Gumu, Pania

Artist notes:

"During mango, almond and cashew nut season a lot of Sapur (Flying Foxes) come to our village and gardens.

When the sun begins to set in the western sky, the Sapur usually come in flocks from the thick mangroves that fringe the coastline.

The Sapur only come out at dusk to raid the fruit trees so that people cannot see them. Otherwise they would be targeted by hunters and chased away. Despite this they do make a lot of noise as they feed.

The Sapur suck the juice out of the fruit and dispose of the rest making a lot of mess under the trees. They do this all night until morning breaks when they take flight back to their isolated, thick scrubs and mangroves.

Growing up in the islands in the 1970's, these sightings were common during fruit season.

It is our uncles who tell us that whenever flocks of sapur approach the gardens, the fruit is ripe.

This image shows a large number of Sapur flying to the village to feed on the fruit trees. They circle above the trees to choose where they will feed for the evening." - Billy Missi

[cartoonybus]

pnf revival hope: no more of this shit

[chernayawidow]

Indigenous Australians ARE BLACK. I’ve just come from tiktok after seeing lots of Americans say that First Nation people are not black. THERE ARE OTHER PLACES AND CULTURES IN THE WORLD OUTSIDE OF THE USA.

I myself am white, so if any Indigenous Australians are uncomfortable with me saying any of this please let me know and I’ll take it down. Or if any terms/information needs correction please please please let me know.

I have friends who are light skinned Indigenous and they should NOT have to defend their heritage against a country of ignorant fools. My primary example is Malakai and Missy from Heartbreak High, an AUSTRALIAN show, who are having their heritage erased because they’re not “black enough”. How the fuck are people saying that in 2023?

If your country cared enough to acknowledge the existence of others in the world, you would know that Indigenous Australians were subjected to the Stolen Generation. What’s that, you ask? Where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were stolen from their families by governments, churches and welfare bodies to be raised in institutions, fostered out or adopted by non-Indigenous families, as a way of white washing them and erasing their culture and heritage.

TW: Racism, Death/Murder, Abuse - sexual and physical - (not graphic but mentioned)

They were abused, killed and raped by white people, as well as being forced to have their children as a way of “breeding out the black”. So when you guys say “they’re not black enough”, it’s one of the most disgusting and insensitive things you can say. The amount of pain Indigenous Australians have suffered is astounding, and they’re finally getting some on-screen representation. But here come you Americans, just shitting all over them. African American representation is extremely low, now guess what? Indigenous Australian representation is even lower. To the point where you guys don’t even know they exist.

To this day, they experience systemic racism at the hands of government, and especially the police. Not only that, but Australia is still fighting to change the date of “Australia Day” so that it doesn’t fall on Invasion Day. They’re trying to reclaim land that is rightfully theirs, as well as protect and maintain the preservation of what little history they have left. So before you go shitting on the oldest and longest running Indigenous culture in the world, do your fucking research.

[skullsandpearlsss]

Well, best introduce myself.

[sneefsnorf]

kind of giving up on my irish miku because i just cant get the colours to work but i reeeeaaaaallyyyyyy want to do a torres strait islander miku in this dress by grace lillian lee

[blakpearlsss]

Skulls were the main trading currency used by the Torres Strait Islander people with their Papuan New Guinean neighbours. These trading skulls were acquired in battle and through raiding parties to other islands and the Australian mainland. The skulls of family members, those of important leaders and revered warriors were not traded. Skulls were used in various rituals.

Byerb Ibaik refers to the scraping of the bone above the eye sockets of a skull that belonged to a legendary warrior. A paste was made of the scrapings and fed to young boy babies to imbue in them the skill, courage and other attributes that contributed to the warrior’s fame during his lifetime. 

[sheltiechicago]

The Muyngu Koekaper dance team from Saibai Island perform at Anzac Park.

Torres Strait's The Winds of Zenadth cultural festival, held on Queensland’s Thursday Island

Photograph: Tyr Liang/AAP

Jehrmess Waia from Saibai Island's Muyngu Koekaper dance team shows off the Rainmaker dancing outfit

Leni Tipoti from Badu Island’s Dhamu Koedal dance team performs the Kaygasiw Usul dance.

Mer Island’s Neguams dance group perform.

Muyngu Koekaper dance team from Saibai Island perform.

[tenth-sentence]

But contact between those two big landmasses was restricted to those few small groups of Torres Strait islanders with a highly attenuated New Guinea culture, interacting with those few small groups of Cape York Aborigines.

"Guns, Germs and Steel: A Short History of Everybody for the Last 13,000 Years" - Jared Diamond

[trendynewsnow]

Jamie Oliver Suspends Children's Book Sales Over Indigenous Culture Controversy

Jamie Oliver Halts Sales of Controversial Children’s Book The renowned British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has recently decided to suspend sales of his children’s book globally and has issued a public apology following accusations that the book perpetuates stereotypes about Australian Indigenous culture. The book in question, titled “Billy and the Epic Escape,��� was released in March by Penguin…

[michaelbedwell]

How do western systems and structures impact on aboriginal and torres strait islander cultures? Read this article for detailed guide.

[t-jfh]

Ita Buttrose said she believed people should be able to disagree with each other without being the target of online abuse. (Supplied: James Alcock)

Neryssa Azlan sifts through hundreds of comments on the Q+A social accounts each week. (Supplied)

Stan Grant exits Q+A permanently.

[ed-recoverry]

Shoutout to all Oceanic LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Austronesian LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Polynesian LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Micronesian LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Melanesian LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Kwaio LGBTQ+ people.

Shoutout to all Papuan LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Australian LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Kanak LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Norfolk Islander LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Māori LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all New Zealander LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Aboriginal Australian LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Caledonian LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Pitcairn Islander LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all South Sea Islander LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Rapa Nui LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Nauruan LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all New Caledonian LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Native Hawaiian LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Chuukese LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Solomon Islander LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all West Papuan LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Fijian LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Tahitian LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Samoans LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Guamanian LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Chamorro LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Torres Strait Islander LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Ambonese LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Tongan LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Marquesas Islander LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Yapese LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Kiribati LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Niuean LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Northern Mariana Islander LGBTQ+ folks.

Shoutout to all Mashellese LGBTQ+ folks.

Take pride in it all. Your culture, your identity, it’s all so beautiful. Celebrate where you are from and who you are. It makes you you, and that is something to be proud of.

post for Middle Easterners, post for Asians, post for Pacific Islanders , post for Hispanics, post for Africans , post for Native Americans, post for Caribbeans

[thoughtlessarse]

Australia has committed to elevating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge as one of five national priorities in science and research. This comes as part of the National Science Statement released on Monday by the Minister for Industry and Science, Ed Husic. The statement signals the national priorities that will shape investment and policy across research and development over the next decade. Australian research already punches above its weight. The statement notes we produce 3.4% of the world's research with just 0.33% of the world's population. So how can we accelerate our impact? Indigenous knowledge systems are a national strength. The history of science on this continent is extraordinary, yet we often fail to recognize the sophisticated knowledges held by our First Nations peoples. Indigenous voices must be at the table. The first peoples, the first scientists Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were the first astronomers, physicists, biologists and pharmacists on this continent. From as far back as 65,000 years, Indigenous people have been integrating knowledge systems with and for people and Country. There are many examples of Indigenous knowledge contributing to contemporary problems. Traditional Aboriginal burning takes into account local weather conditions, plants, environments and animals. It shows how plants react to fire, how to reduce the risk of major fire events, and support regeneration and biodiversity. Indigenous-led approaches to urban water are pointing towards more sustainable water management practices that also regenerate ecological and cultural environments.

continue reading

What could have been if First Nations hadn't immediately been dismissed is savages.

[queerasfact]

Condoman

In 1987, Indigenous sexual health worker Aunty Gracelyn Smallwood and her team felt that safe sex advertising wasn’t effectively targeting people in Australia’s remote Indigenous communities. In response, they created Condoman - “The Deadly Predator of Sexual Health” - who spoke to Indigenous people in language they could relate to, and removed stigma from conversations about sexual health. 

Condoman became something of a cult figure in Australia, and in 2009 he was relaunched with a suite of comics, animations, and merch, including branded condoms. He was also joined by his “deadly, slippery sister” Lubelicious, who promoted consent, the use of water based lube, and women’s health, for her sisters and sistergirls (an Indigenous term analogous to trans women).

We covered Condoman in our podcast on the AIDS epidemic in Australia.

Keep an eye on this blog throughout the week as we continue highlighting queer Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture for NAIDOC Week.

[skullsandpearlsss]

[akajustmerry]

Hello! I've just found your podcast and listened into some older episodes. They helped me on my journey of understanding my sexuality, and formulate why some stories appear more sincere than others. Thank you two! In one episode that Aboriginal people are "like black people in Australia" (I hope I quote this correctly). If It's no hassle, I would be curious in understanding the social circumstnaces you are descrbing. Happily waiting for a new episode, and thank you very much for the fun and informative work!

hello there, thank you so much for listening to gayv club! I'm chuffed that you love the podcast (psst follow @gayvclubpodcast) 🥰

So, to answer your question, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the Indigenous people to what the world calls "Australia". And we are Black people. We are Black people and were racialised as Black Indigenous people when British and European people colonised the land over 200 years ago. Aboriginal people were called Black throughout Australias white colonial history and so we also call ourselves Black.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in this country have been subjected to anti-Black violence and genocidal policies that include but aren't limited to slavery, deaths in custody, segregation, and apartheid. Not to mention forced child removal and assimilation policies intended to "breed the Black out" of our culture.

But we're still here! Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the oldest continuously practising culture in the world. Recent archaeological discoveries show Aboriginal people were baking bread even before the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. As a community, we've had our own Black power movements, music movements, and art movements too.

I'm generalising a lot because Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are very diverse. We've got over 400 languages and nations, each with its own cultural rules. While many of us have lost our language and culture because of colonisation, there are many who haven't and many working to restore and preserve it.

One thing I will make very clear is that all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples refer to ourselves as Black (sometimes without the C) regardless of what we look like. There are many Aboriginal people, like myself, who are pale skinned and still call ourselves Black and are accepted as such. This is because we do NOT adhere to blood quantum that colonisers try to put on us. Our connection to Blackness is about our connection to family and community, it is not *only* about how we look.

Hope this helps you understand a bit. I for one am very proud to be Blak. I'm very proud to be Aboriginal. If you want to learn more about Aboriginal culture and history, here's some resources: