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Land and Sea
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Land and Sea
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Kunjuri (Rainforest Shield)
Traditional shields were carved from a single piece of timber cut from side of the buttress root of a rainforest fig-tree. The kidney shaped shields are unique to the rainforest Bama of Far North Queensland. They were decorated with clan, totem or moiety designs using natural ochres and a water, fat or blood binder.
Shields were primarily used for deflecting spears in tribal fighting in conjunction with large rainforest swords.
Shields were usually made and painted by senior men and were a significant personal possession of adult males.
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Kadanji (Palm Cockatoo)
Kadanji (Palm Cockatoo) is my family Totem. It is very important to me because it holds all the stories relating to the traditional land that was passed down to me and my siblings through my fathers side, grandfathers and great grandfathers side.
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Karrangkal (Corals of the Great Barrier Reef)
Our beautiful Yalanji coastline has many places where the rainforest and the reef come very close together. The colourful corals on this fabric is a reminder of the rich ocean environments of the Great Barrier Reef that have nourished generations of our Kuku Yalanji families and culture.
This fabric helps to convey the traditional knowledge and complexe histories of how Kuku Yalanji used to live with the ocean, including the social rules and practical knowledge of how to hunt and cook various sea animals, distribute food and how to make important material cultural objects such as fish hooks, various traps etc.
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Karrangkal (Corals of the Great Barrier Reef)
Our beautiful Yalanji coastline has many places where the rainforest and the reef come very close together. The colourful corals on this fabric is a reminder of the rich ocean environments of the Great Barrier Reef that have nourished generations of our Kuku Yalanji families and culture.
This fabric helps to convey the traditional knowledge and complexe histories of how Kuku Yalanji used to live with the ocean, including the social rules and practical knowledge of how to hunt and cook various sea animals, distribute food and how to make important material cultural objects such as fish hooks, various traps etc.
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Makarr (Fish Trap)
Fish traps are called Makarr in our language. They were made by men only. Our fathers and uncles used to make them with the lawyer vine. They stripped the stems and then soaked them in the river to keep them soft and bendy. They also had a special way of weaving the fish traps. They used them in the river to catch eels, jungle perch, fresh water catfish and turtle. To attract fish our old people used to sprinkle rain forest berries as bait over the trap.
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Yinjul (Rainforest Parrot)
The rainforest parrot is a very important totem (spirit being) for all Kuku Yalanji clan groups. Cultural knowledge of this spirit being has been passed down from generation to generation. The rainforest parrot cannot be touched or hunted for food. They have to be left alone. They are special birds that have a sacred meaning for us.
