Description
Waru or Waaru is the word for turtle in the language of the Maluyligal people of the Western Torres Strait.
The work references the current threat to the green turtle that has been integral to the culture and sustainability of all Torres Strait Islanders for thousands of years.
Ghost nets that drift around the islands are a modern day scourge that has had a serious impact on turtle, dugong and other large sea creature populations.The cut out and incised patterns on the back of the Waaru represent the cultural protocols including sea management plans that are in place to maintain a sustainable food source for future generations.
The Bu or Trumpet Shell seen inside the Waaru played an important role in traditional Torres Strait Islander life. It was blown like a trumpet to summons villagers together or to warn of impending danger. The shell was dried and a hole fashioned in its tip. Different size shells that made different sounds were used depending on the nature of the gathering.
The Bu in this work represents the often unheeded voice of Torres Strait Islanders to the outside world concerning the declining sea turtle numbers and why the threat is not from the traditional hunting practices that have been in place for countless generations.
The Bu placed inside the Waaru speaks not just for the hunters but also for the culture in which the Waaru is an integral part. This voice speaks with the authority from within a culture that has existed for millennia.
