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Kurranji (Cassowary)

The cassowary is one of the most important animals for our Kuku Yalanji people. The cassowary is the boss of the rainforest. He is dangerous but he also helps grow many of the plants we used to collect for food, medicine and tool making.

How does he do this? He eats many different fruits, digests them in his stomach, and then drops his dung mixed with the leftover seeds onto the ground. This way seeds grow into new plants wherever he walks. This helped us Kuku Yalanji in the past to survive.

The cassowary is a spirit bird and celebrated to this day in public ceremonies with song and dance. You must be very careful of them because they can attack. Never feed them. You must always be alert when walking in the rainforest.

Categories: Bamanga Bubu Ngadimunku Aboriginal Corporation

Name: Lorna Shuan

Language: Kuku Yalanji

Community: Mossman

Biography:

I was born in 1965 at the Mossman Hospital and grew up in the Mossman Gorge Aboriginal community with all my family. I’m a traditional custodian for the Kubirri Warra area.

In 2008 I completed my Certificate IV in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Cultural Arts. I enjoy painting or drawing my stories for printing on fabric and paper. I also tell my stories in clay: I do sgrafitto on ceramic bowls, coolamons and tiles.

I also like to paint on canvas. Selecting colours is important to me in all my art. I like bright colours, as for me they bring out more and make me happy.

 My family and community motivate me to create art. It is important to follow your passion, heart and dreams and share your talents. It’s important to leave a legacy behind for your family and grandchildren, to help them feel proud and show that you are doing something that makes you happy and helps others.

 The rainforest is a big part of my world, it gives me inspiration in my art. Mostly, I enjoy depicting birds - they represent my totems and their spiritual messages and remind me of my family. The Cockatoo and Cassowary are my totems. The Kurranji (Cassowary) is the Madja (Boss). When I paint Kurranji, I have a connection to the rainforest. He looks after the land, cultivating the land and has lovely colours. He is the leader of all birds in the rainforest. Parrots have beautiful rainbow colours which also make me feel happy when I think about family that have passed.

 My art is connected with traditional ways, connected to the ancestors and my family - especially my grandmother and my grandfather. They give me life and strength.

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