Many years ago, our ancestors lived in harmony with the rainforest and other parts of the land, they learnt different ways of hunting and gathering for food. The women would collect Diwan (Scrub Turkey) eggs. Each Diwan can lay up to 15-20 eggs. The women gather the eggs by using their hands to dig deep into the nest, the eggs are found in the warmest area of the nest.
Kirbaji (Dugong) is an Ancestral Spirit Being (Totem) that I inherited it from my mother’s side. It is my Totem. The dugong was also an important food source for my ancestors. Only men were allowed to hunt them, and only men had the right to cook and distribute the meat to all the families. My uncles and cousins showed me how to hunt dugongs and they passed down to me the cultural knowledge about them.
My ancestors used to wrap the dugong meat in ginger leaves for flavour, close the wraps with a vine and cook them in the ground oven. Dugongs were only hunted on special occasions such as births, weddings and funerals to provide food for large family gatherings.Dugong fat was also melted to make oil which was used as a medicine for skin and hair ailments or as ointment to treat an upset stomach.
Kirbaji (Dugong) is an Ancestral Spirit Being (Totem) that I inherited it from my mother’s side. It is my Totem. The dugong was also an important food source for my ancestors. Only men were allowed to hunt them, and only men had the right to cook and distribute the meat to all the families. My uncles and cousins showed me how to hunt dugongs and they passed down to me the cultural knowledge about them.
My ancestors used to wrap the dugong meat in ginger leaves for flavour, close the wraps with a vine and cook them in the ground oven. Dugongs were only hunted on special occasions such as births, weddings and funerals to provide food for large family gatherings.Dugong fat was also melted to make oil which was used as a medicine for skin and hair ailments or as ointment to treat an upset stomach.
Kirbaji (Dugong) is an Ancestral Spirit Being (Totem) that I inherited it from my mother’s side. It is my Totem. The dugong was also an important food source for my ancestors. Only men were allowed to hunt them, and only men had the right to cook and distribute the meat to all the families. My uncles and cousins showed me how to hunt dugongs and they passed down to me the cultural knowledge about them.
My ancestors used to wrap the dugong meat in ginger leaves for flavour, close the wraps with a vine and cook them in the ground oven. Dugongs were only hunted on special occasions such as births, weddings and funerals to provide food for large family gatherings.Dugong fat was also melted to make oil which was used as a medicine for skin and hair ailments or as ointment to treat an upset stomach.
In the past, Kirbaji (dugong) was an important food source. It was men’s business to hunt dugongs and it was their responsibility to cook and provide the meat to all the families. The meat of the dugong was cooked in an earth oven.
Our ancestors also made oil form the dugong fat. They used the oil for medicinal purposes. They used it for skin and hair treatments. When people had an upset stomach they used the oil as an ointment.
In the past, Kirbaji (dugong) was an important food source. It was men’s business to hunt dugongs and it was their responsibility to cook and provide the meat to all the families. The meat of the dugong was cooked in an earth oven.
Our ancestors also made oil form the dugong fat. They used the oil for medicinal purposes. They used it for skin and hair treatments. When people had an upset stomach they used the oil as an ointment.
The cassowary is one of the major Totems (Ancestral Spirit Being) for our Kuku Yalanji people. He is, a big, dangerous bird that rules the rainforest. He can attack people but at the same time he helps with growing many of the plants we used to collect for food, medicine and tool making.
I inherited the Cassowary Totem and all the cultural stories relating to it from my mother’s side. When I was four years old, my mum taught me how to dance the story of the female cassowary, which is concerned with protecting the chicks and the eggs from the carpet snake and goanna.
As a young women, I took over from my mum and began teaching our cultural dances to the younger generation at the Mossman Gorge community as well as children that live in Mossman town. I still do this today.
The cassowary is one of the major Totems (Ancestral Spirit Being) for our Kuku Yalanji people. He is, a big, dangerous bird that rules the rainforest. He can attack people but at the same time he helps with growing many of the plants we used to collect for food, medicine and tool making.
I inherited the Cassowary Totem and all the cultural stories relating to it from my mother’s side. When I was four years old, my mum taught me how to dance the story of the female cassowary, which is concerned with protecting the chicks and the eggs from the carpet snake and goanna.
As a young women, I took over from my mum and began teaching our cultural dances to the younger generation at the Mossman Gorge community as well as children that live in Mossman town. I still do this today.