Torres Strait Islanders
| Total population |
|---|
| 48,005 |
| Languages |
| Religion |
|
see Christianity |
| Related ethnic groups |
Torres Strait Islanders are the indigenous people of the Torres Strait Islands, part of Queensland, Australia. They are culturally and genetically Melanesian peoples, as are the peoples of Papua New Guinea. They are distinct from the Aboriginal peoples of the rest of Australia, and are generally referred to separately. There are also two Torres Strait Islander communities on the nearby coast of the mainland at Bamaga and Seisia.
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Population [edit]
There are 6,000 Torres Strait Islanders who live in the area of the Torres Strait, and 42,000 others who live outside of this area, mostly in the north of Queensland, particularly in Townsville and Cairns.[1]
Culture [edit]
The indigenous people of the Torres Strait have a distinct culture which has slight variants on the different islands where they live. They are a seafaring people, and engaged in trade with people of Papua New Guinea. The culture is complex, with some Australian elements, some Papuan elements, and Austronesian elements, just like the languages. The Islanders seem to have been the dominant culture for many centuries, and neighbouring Aboriginal and Papuan cultures show some Island influence in religious ceremonies and the like. Examples of Torres Strait Islander language can be found on the State Library of Queensland's ReTold website, a collection of online stories gathered in partnership with Torres Strait Islander language speakers and community members living in mainland Queensland. Stories told through this website come from the Margaret Lawrie Collection of Torres Strait Islands material.
Archaeological, linguistic and folk history evidence suggests that the core of Island culture is Austronesian. Unlike the indigenous peoples of mainland Australia, but like those of neighbouring Papua, the islanders are agriculturalists, although they supplemented their food supplies through hunting and gathering. Dugong, turtle, crayfish, crabs, shellfish, reef fish and wild fruits and vegetables were all traditionally hunted and collected and remain an important part of their subsistence lifestyle.[2] Traditional foods play an important role in ceremonies and celebrations even when they don't live on the islands. Dugong and turtle hunting as well as fishing are seen as a way of continuing the Islander tradition of being closely associated with the sea.[2]
Their more recent, post-colonization history has seen new cultural influences, most notably the place of Christianity (particularly of the Baptist and Anglican strains) which caused major shifts in cultural paradigms, as well as subtler additions through the influence of Polynesian (particularly Rotuman) pearl-divers brought by black-birders in the 19th Century.
Stories, crafts, and games [edit]
The inhabitants of Torres Strait have a long history of developing stories, crafts and games. Prominent among these are many different String figures[3][4][5] (a particular string figure game played by two or more participants that generates several string figures is familiar to people of many cultures under the name Cat's cradle), some extremely elaborate and beautiful, and 'string catches' (games in which strings are wrapped around fingers then removed quickly with a single pull).[6]
Languages [edit]
Kalaw Lagaw Ya, Kalau Kawau Ya, Kulkalgau Ya and Kaiwalgau Ya, which are all dialects of the Western-central Torres Strait Language (Kala Lagaw Ya), are spoken on the southwestern, western, northern and central islands. These are related to Aboriginal languages. Meriam Mir, related to Papuan languages, is spoken on the eastern islands.[7]
Administration [edit]
The Torres Strait Islanders have been administered by a system of elected councils.[8] This was a completely unique practice unused for any other group in Australia. The council now act as intermediaries between islanders and the rest of the world and serve to reinforce the concept of island communities.[8]
Notable Islanders [edit]
Famous Torres Strait Islanders include
- Eddie Mabo
- Christine Anu
- Seaman Dan
- Wendell Sailor - NRL player for St. George Illawarra Dragons
- Sam Thaiday - NRL player for Brisbane Broncos
- Brent Webb - Super League player for Leeds Rhinos and Kiwis fullback
- Robert Lui - NRL player for Wests Tigers
- Patrick Mills - Point guard for Saint Mary's College (California) and the Australia national team (Torres Strait Islander father, Aboriginal mother). Currently playing in the NBA as a point guard for the San Antonio Spurs.
- Danny Morseu - Former basketball player and member of the NBL Hall of Fame
- Nathan Jawai - NBA rookie for Toronto Raptors
- Michael Bani - NRL player for North Queensland Cowboys
- Martin Nakata - The first Torres Strait Islander to gain PhD qualifications [9]
- Albert Proud - AFL player for Brisbane Lions[10]
See also [edit]
- Indigenous Australians
- List of Indigenous Australian firsts
- Torres Strait Islander Flag
- Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts (ACPA)
References [edit]
- ^ "Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples". Australia Now. Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Archived from the original on 2006-10-08. Retrieved 2006-12-10.
- ^ a b Smyth, Dermot (2002). "Appendix B: The Indigenous Sector: An Anthropological Perspective". In Hundloe, Tor. Valuing Fisheries. University of Queensland Press. pp. 230–231. ISBN 0702233293. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
- ^ Torres Strait string figure example.
- ^ Alfred Cort Haddon, along with one of his daughters, the pioneers in the modern study of Torres Strait string figures.
- ^ A string figure bibliography including examples from Torres Strait.
- ^ A popular and comprehensive book on string figures.
- ^ "Torres Strait Islanders". Fact Sheets. Australian Government Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Retrieved 2006-12-10.
- ^ a b Beckett, Jeremy (1990). Torres Strait Islanders: Custom and Colonialism. Cambridge University Press. pp. 17–18. ISBN 0521378621.
- ^ Professor Martin Nakata Director of Nura Gili. University of New South Wales. Retrieved on 10 January 2013.
- ^ AFL Record. Round 9,2009. Slattery Publishing. pg 75.
External links [edit]
- Torres Strait Regional Authority
- Church of Torres Strait
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders' virtual books - held by the State Library of Queensland.
- Contemporary stories by and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Social Justice Reports 1994-2009 and Native Title Reports 1994-2009 for more information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs.
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