Bamanga Bubu Ngadimunku Aboriginal Corporation

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Status: Stock

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Tea Towel ‘Birmba (White Cockatoo)’ by Lorna Shuan – TTLS03

Birmba (White Cockatoo) is my family totem. It has been passed down from generation to generation. They always remind me of my grandfather, my sister and other family members who have passed on. White Cockatoos are like protective spirits for me and my family. They will give you signs. Good signs and signs of danger. They will let you know when to move on.
When I’m out with my grandchildren and there is a white cockatoo, I might say, “that is your grandmother, my sister who is watching us”.

At other times, the spirits of other family members visit us in form of white cockatoos. The White Cockatoo keeps our living and past family connected to each other and to our country. When I’m alone, I know they are around. I speak to their spirit and they give me strength.

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Status: Stock

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Tea Towel ‘Nautilus Shell’ by Laurence Gibson – TTLG03

I am an Eastern Kuku Yalanji man. Members of my extended family have totems related directly to the Great Barrier Reef. The nautilus shell in this design represents our sea country. The reef is sacred to us but also our traditional hunting ground for turtle, dugong, coral trout, sharks and crayfish.

In my upbringing I was taught to respect our elders who prepared me for my future role as carrier of cultural knowledge and spiritual traditions. I was also taught the values of taking responsibility for caring for our traditional land and sea country and help maintain it for the younger generations so they can become strong leaders.

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Status: Stock

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Tea Towel ‘Kunjuri (Rainforest Shield)’ by Gregory Salt – TTGS02

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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Status: Stock

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Tea Towel ‘Kurranji (Cassowary)’ by Karen Shuan – TTKS04

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.

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Status: Stock

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Tea Towel ‘Wambiji (Platypus)’ by Vanessa Cannon – TTVC04

Platypus are very shy. They like to hide under rocks and can rarely be seen when people are around.  When I was 17 years old, I used to go for a swim with my partner, Laurence, in the Mossman River, at a site called Jabuljabul (Girls/Women). Some mornings, a  platypus was coming out of his hiding place, searching for food. He swam around. When he heard us, he swam back to his hiding place until we were gone.

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Status: Stock

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S.J. Burchill, Wurarr-Wurarr (Dragonfly)

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Status: Stock

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S.J. Burchill, Wurarr-Wurarr (Dragonfly)

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Status: Stock

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G. Salt, 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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Status: Stock

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G. Salt, 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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Status: Stock

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G. Salt, 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.