Culture Love 2009

This item contains photographs of 'The Coming of the Light' celebrations and associated subjects on Erub Island:

• people gathering to enjoy the feast and celebrations.
• celebratory activities at the 'Coming of the Light' monument (Kemus Shrine), Kemus Beach.
• speeches.
• a procession and the traditional drums used in the procession.
• Kemus Beach.

This item contains photographs that document some of the Culture Love 2009 activities on Erub Island. "Children were told a story about the journey from 'The Coming of the Light' to Native Title Determination. This inspired children to create a wall mural and pictures which were then screen printed onto tablecloths...Enthused by his involvement in the program Richard Kiwat wrote and performed with the children their own special song called Culture Love" (Information taken from: Culture Love - State Library of Queensland : a case study in keeping culture strong through the arts, viewed 7 April 2022).

Photographs taken of these activities include:

• screen printing of tablecloths and the finished product.
• local artist Frank Mye helping paint a wall mural.
• Richard Kiwat and children practicing the song 'Culture Love'.

This item contains photographs that mainly document a re-enactment of 'The Coming of the Light' to Erub Island.  The re-enactment was part of 'The Coming of the Light' celebrations that occurred on Erub Island, 2009.

"Missionaries arrived at Erub (Darnley Island) on 1 July 1871, an event that came to be known as the `Coming of the Light`. Dabad, one of the tribal Elders of the island, met them at Kemus Beach. Dabad befriended the missionaries and introduced them to Amani, another tribal Elder, and the rest of the Erub Islanders. The event is celebrated on the 1st July each year." (Information taken from: Monument Australia website, viewed 7 October 2021)

This sound recording is of Richard Kiwat and children singing 3 versions of a song written by Culture Love 2009 participants on Erub Island with the assistance of Richard Kiwat.  Richard Kiwat also wrote the music for the song and accompanies the singing with the guitar.  

This video recording is about ‘The Coming of the Light’ celebration that occurs on 1 July on Erub Island.

Richard Kiwat (Darnley Islander), Kenny Bedford (Member for Erub on the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA)) and Pastor Kem Kiwat (Full Gospel Church) each talk briefly about the 1 July. This includes brief footage of a re-enactment of ‘The Coming of the Light’.

Kenny Bedford then talks more about ‘The Coming of the Light’ celebrations in 2009 as well as the traditional boat races that usually accompany the celebration.

This is followed by footage of speeches by Fred Gela (Torres Strait Mayor) and another man. Footage of the feast, food and dancing follows.

This video recording documents some of the Culture Love 2009 activities on Erub Island.  It begins with Richard Kiwat and others talking about the Culture Love 2009 program.  The theme of the program was based around a traditional story. 

Activities include:

• part of the retelling of the story by Kapal Gutchen.
• painting murals with local artist Frank (Franklin) Mye.
• screen-printing tablecloths for use during ‘The Coming of the Light’ celebrations with local artist Ella (Ellarose) Savage and artist Lynette Griffiths.
• singing a song written with the assistance of Richard Kiwat about Culture Love and the connection the Erub Torres Strait Islanders have to the land and the sea.

Also included are two short interviews with Sarah Gillard, mother of four children participating in the program, and Meo Gala, teenage participant in the program, about their views on the Culture Love program. 

This video recording is mainly about local artist Florence Gutchen and the selling of her first piece of art at the Erub Erwer Meta Art Centre. The sale was made during the opening of a new Erub Island radio station.

• footage of a welcoming radio announcement on 4BR FM 103.7 by Walter Lui of the Remote Indigenous Broadcast Service (RIBS).  The opening of the radio station was to occur later that day (footage not shown).
• a short interview with local artist Florence Gutchen about her life held at the Erub Erwer Meta Art Centre.  Florence left secondary school following Grade 8 to work at a health centre where she remained for 10 years before resigning to start a family.  She explains how she never had much chance to discover new things, which she believes is important, a desire she now has time to fulfill as her children are older.
• footage surrounding Florence Gutchen's first sale of art to Desley Boyle, Minister of Local Government & Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, at the Erub Erwer Meta Art Centre.

This video recording documents night-time traditional dancing that occurred during ‘The Coming of the Light’ celebrations on Erub Island.  Included is the Dabad ceremony and the Alag dance.

Sound recording of the song "Grassroots People - Keriba Geda (Our Home)".  The song was sung by Richard Kiwat.

The singing is mostly in English and is accompanied by the guitar.

This sound recording was created during Culture Love 2009 activities on Erub Island.

Sound recording of the song 'Norena'.  The song was sung by George and Jennifer Mye.  'Norena' was a Trochus Fishing Lugger Boat skippered by Douglas Pitt (Information taken from: Item 17).

Singing is in a traditional language, most likely Meriam Mer, and is accompanied by the guitar.

This sound recording was created during Culture Love 2009 activities on Erub Island.

Sound recording of the song "E.R.U.B.".  The song was sung by George and Jennifer Mye.  This is a traditional dance song, kind of a Darnley Island anthem (Information taken from: Item 17). 

Singing is in a traditional language, most likely Meriam Mer, and is accompanied by the guitar.

This sound recording was created during Culture Love 2009 activities on Erub Island.

Sound recording of the song "Lim Pe Baraj Geda".  The song was sung by George and Jennifer Mye.  The song is a traditional women's dance song (Information taken from: Item 17). 

Singing is in a traditional language, most likely Meriam Mer.

This sound recording was created during Culture Love 2009 activities on Erub Island.

Sound recording of the song "Saim Karem".  The song was sung by George and Jennifer Mye.  The song is a traditional dance song that talks about the reef and tidal movements (Information taken from: Item 17). 

Singing is in a traditional language, most likely Meriam Mer.

This sound recording was created during Culture Love 2009 activities on Erub Island.

Sound recording of the song/s "Kapem Mara Ka/Sep Segur/Able Neu Able Neu".  The song is sung by George and Jennifer Mye.

Singing is in a traditional language, most likely Meriam Mer.

This sound recording was created during Culture Love 2009 activities on Erub Island.

Audio recording of the song/s "Mi Serar (Seagull)".  The song/s is sung by George and Jennifer Mye.  The song talks about seagulls, Lion Reef and the lugger boat 'Traiton Triton' (Information taken from: Item 17). 

Singing is in a traditional language, most likely Meriam Mer.

This sound recording was created during Culture Love 2009 activities on Erub Island.

Transcript containing most of the lyrics of the songs contained in Items 9-15 that were recorded during Culture Love 2009 activities on Erub Island.  A translation is available for most lyrics in a traditional language.

This music video contains a song sung by Patrick Nandy with Roderick Nunn Junior and Ephrain Claudie. 

The song is about Wujal Wujal and is accompanied by the guitar and footage of the singers, children playing in the surf and people on the beach. 

This video recording was created during Culture Love 2009 activities in Wujal Wujal.

This music video features Patrick and Lexton Nandy and contains a song probably sung by Lexton Nandy. 

The song is about fishing in the Banner Yearie/Bloomfield River and is accompanied by the guitar and footage of the singers, Banner Yearie, Wujal Wujal homes, children playing in the surf and people on the beach, the Wujal Wujal/Bloomfield Waterfall and cooking on the coals. 

This video recording was created during Culture Love 2009 activities in Wujal Wujal.

This music video features Daniel Gordon, Frank Yougie and Roderick Nunn Junior singing the song ''Jajikal' written by Daniel Gordon.

The song is accompanied by footage of Banner Yearie/Bloomfield River and the Wujal Wujal/Bloomfield Waterfall.

The song is in a traditional language and is accompanied by the guitar and sticks.

This video recording was created during Culture Love 2009 activities in Wujal Wujal.

This music video features Barry Cedric singing his song 'At the Beach'.

The song is accompanied by footage of people enjoying the beach.

Barry Cedric accompanies the song with the guitar.

This video recording was created during Culture Love 2009 activities in Wujal Wujal.

This music video contains a song sung by the Wujal Wujal children.

The song is accompanied by footage of the children singing and at the beach, adults resting beneath trees and cooking on the coals.

The singing is accompanied by music.

This video recording was created during Culture Love 2009 activities in Wujal Wujal.

This item contains photographs that document some of the Culture Love 2009 activities in Wujal Wujal including painting, recording songs, cooking on the coals and making dough.

This video recording contains footage mainly of Culture Love activities in Kubin, Moa Island:

• the barge “Malu Titan”, the unloading of a shipping container containing recording gear, the setting up of a recording studio at the Indigenous Knowledge Centre, Kubin and teens and adults playing football.  This footage is mostly accompanied by singing in a traditional language.  The recording gear was used to record 10 songs during Culture Love 2009 activities, Kubin.
• adults playing guitars and a traditional drum and children singing in English and a traditional language.
• adults and children making string designs.
• adults singing in a traditional language using sticks and drums to accompany themselves.  
• adults making head dresses and an adult and teen wearing the head dresses while they practice traditional dancing.
• island scenery, a jetty, homes and a church.

This video recording contains footage of Dana Savage (Indigenous Knowledge Centre (IKC) administrator, Kubin) describing the IKC at Kubin, Moa Island.  Dana's description and accompanying footage describe IKC activities for children, library books, photographs and cultural items.

Lousie Manos (Kubin community member) then talks about her life, the IKC and the importance of the book “Gelam’s Homeland : cultural and natural history on the island of Moa, Torres Strait”.  This book is held in the IKC, was put together by the people of Moa and will be particularly important for younger generations.

Background music accompanies the video recording.

This video contains footage of community members preparing for a dance during Culture Love 2009 activities in Kubin, Moa Island:

• adults demonstrating to children how to make head dresses from card and wire.
• collecting palm fronds.
• adult demonstrating to children how to use palm fronds to make an item of traditional dress.  During the demonstration a teenager takes part under adult supervision.  

A song in English and a traditional language accompanies the footage.

This video recording documents David Rowson, dance leader, talking about how traditional dances are passed down to the next generation during Culture Love 2009 activities in Kubin, Moa Island.  

This video also contains footage of traditional dancing by a boy, then later a man, to a song in a traditional language.  The boy is playing a traditional drum while dancing.

This video recording documents a man telling a story to a group of children and teens about a song writer during Culture Love 2009 activities in Kubin, Moa Island.

The man then leads the others in a song in a traditional language.  The song is accompanied by traditional drums and sticks and was probably written by the song writer whom the story was about.

This video recording documents L. Bolsen talking briefly about parts of her life then demonstrating string games to children during Culture Love 2009 activities in Kubin, Moa Island.

This video recording documents a man explaining the various uses of the coconut plant during Culture Love 2009 activities in Kubin, Moa Island. 

The coconut plant has a number of uses:

• the leaves for roof covers.
• for ornaments.
• the coconut for food.
• coconut oil for a skin moisturiser. 

The man then briefly explains how coconut oil is extracted from coconuts.

This video recording documents the preparation of sop sop during Culture Love 2009 activities in Kubin, Moa Island. Sop sop is enjoyed whenever there is feasting on the island such as for weddings, tomb stone openings and other family gatherings.

First coconut milk is generated by squeezing scraped coconut mixed with water. Vegetables, in this case sweet potato, are then roughly chopped and added to a saucepan. The coconut milk is poured over and the mixture cooked over the fire.

This video recording documents a former pearl diver's recollections pearl diving in the Torres Strait.  The recollections are supported by footage of two model boats, smaller replicas of two boats the diver once skippered, and photographs.

This video recording was recorded during Culture Love 2009 activities in Kubin, Moa Island.