Video transcript

(Tongues rolling—trilling)

(Indigenous song and clap stick beating)

Galangoor djali!

My name is Joyce Smith, senior Butchulla desendant from Owens clan.

It is with great pleasure on behalf of all Butchulla people, past and present, to welcome you to the traditional country of the Butchulla people. Indigenous language God Bless you all. Thank you.

Video transcript

(Indigenous singing with trilling and clapstick beating in background)

‘Way way back in the first time …’

(music and more singing in background)

‘When you hear me go “brr brrr” that’s when you stabbin’ all right? You get the fish.’

‘… would teach their young ones, and so on, right down ‘til today.’

(Songs and music fade).

Video transcript

Wuruma dance of the brahminy kite

(Indigenous song with clap sticks beating and singing)

This song and dance is called Wuruma. It’s about a very important fishing law the bird has taught us—our brahminy kite up there—a Wuruma. He taught us never to hunt the first school of fish, because the first school of fish, they come through to see if there's any dangers for the area.

If there was fishermen, and they went out there and hunted for that first school of fish, the other schools would see that there's dangers for that area, won’t go through that area for seasons, they go right around.

So we wait until that bird first start divin’ cos he got good eyesight, he watch the first school of fish go past. Once they go past there is plenty of fish to last us all the way through the season. So this one—Wuruma.