Torres Strait Islanders are the indigenous people of the Torres Strait
Islands, part of Queensland, Australia. They are culturally and genetically
Melanesian people, as are the people of Papua New Guinea. They are distinct from
the Aboriginal people 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.
Population There are 6,800 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. Culture
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 they 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 Papuo-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. 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.
Their more recent, post-colonization history has seen new cultural
influences, most notably the place of Christianity which caused major shifts
in cultural paradigms, as well as subtler additions through the influence
of Polynesians, particularly Samoan and Rotuman sea workers and missionaries who
worked in the area in the 19th Century. = Stories, crafts, and games=
The inhabitants of Torres Strait have a long history of developing stories,
crafts and games. Prominent among these is wame, many different string figures,
some extremely elaborate and beautiful, and 'string catches'.
Languages The Western-central Torres Strait
Language, or Kala Lagaw Ya, is spoken on the southwestern, western, northern and
central islands. It is an Australian Aboriginal language. Meriam Mir is
spoken on the eastern islands. It is one of the Eastern Trans-Fly languages,
otherwise spoken in Papua New Guinea. Administration
The Torres Strait Islanders have been administered by a system of elected
councils. This is a system based partly on traditional pre-Christian local
government and partly on the introduced mission management system.
Notable Islanders Famous Torres Strait Islanders include
Eddie Mabo Christine Anu
Seaman Dan Wendell Sailor – National Rugby League
player for Brisbane Broncos Josh Hoffman - NRL player for Gold Coast
Titans Ben Barba – NRL player for Cronulla
Sharks 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
Michael Bani – NRL player for North Queensland Cowboys
Patty Mills – Point guard for the San Antonio Spurs and the Australia national
team. Danny Morseu – Former basketball player
and member of the NBL Hall of Fame Nathan Jawai – Basketball player
formerly with the Toronto Raptors and Minnesota Timberwolves
Martin Nakata – The first Torres Strait Islander to gain PhD qualifications,
director of the University of New South Wales' Indigenous Programs Unit, known
as Nura Gili Albert Proud – Australian Football
League player for Brisbane Lions See also
Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts
Indigenous Australians List of Indigenous Australian firsts
Torres Strait Islander Flag References
External links 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.