Mabuiag facts for kids
The Mabuyag (also called Mabuygilgal) are an Indigenous Australian group of Torres Strait Islander people. They are connected by their language, strong family ties, and shared culture. For a long time, they lived on and around Mabuiag Island in the Torres Strait in Queensland, Australia. They were skilled at hunting, fishing, gathering food, and farming. The Mabuyag people are ethnically Melanesian.
Like other Torres Strait Islanders, the Mabuyag were known for both being tough and wanting to trade with outsiders. They became Christian in the 1870s. Their language is Gœmulgaw Ya, which is a dialect of Kala Lagaw Ya. Their society was divided into two main groups, called Koey Buway ("Senior Buway") and Moegi Buway ("Junior Buway"). These names relate to the older and younger leaders of their "Sky Gods."
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Mabuyag Stories and Heroes
The Mabuyag people have many important stories and heroes. One of their most famous culture heroes was Kuyam (also known as Kuiam or Kwoiam). Stories describe him as a powerful warrior.
Kuyam's father, Kuyama, came from Cape York Peninsula in mainland Australia. He traveled across the sea to Mabuiag Island. There, he married a woman named Kuinama. Kuyama later returned to Australia, leaving his wife. Their son, Kuyam, grew up and learned to use his father's spear and woomera (a tool for throwing spears).
Kuyam became a fierce warrior. He went on many raids to other islands and the mainland. Eventually, warriors from Moa Island killed him on Mabuiag. Unlike most warriors, his head was not taken, which showed his great fame. Other important culture heroes for the Mabuyag include Wayath and Amipuru.
Mabuyag History
In 1879, the State of Queensland took control of Mabuiag Island and many other Torres Strait islands. This gave the government power over shipping routes and movement between Papua and Australia. For a long time, the traditional land ownership of Indigenous people was not legally recognized. This meant the Mabuyag people, who had always owned their land, were in a difficult legal situation. They had no official rights to their land and no citizenship rights either.
However, some European officials did unofficially recognize their land ownership. For example, in 1886, an official named Hugh Milman visited Mabuiag Island. He reported that "every acre has a reputed owner." He also noted that "every grove or single tree of any value has its proper and legitimate hereditary owner."
After Australia became a federation in 1901, Torres Strait Islanders, including the Mabuyag people, were put under "protection" laws. It was not until the 1960s, after World War Two, that they could marry or travel without government permission.
Today, many Mabuyag people work in industries like fishing or have moved to other islands like Badu Island or Thursday Island, or to mainland Australia. However, about 250 people still live on Mabuiag Island. They continue to hold onto their traditional land rights, using and enjoying the island as their ancestors did. They follow their traditional laws and customs.
The Mabuyag people continue to speak their traditional language. They practice fishing, hunting, and gathering, using knowledge passed down for centuries. They perform traditional dances and songs and look after sacred sites. They use their traditional family system to organize their lives. They are truly the owners of their land.
Island Beliefs and Customs
The Mabuyag people have a deep connection to their home seas, islands, and reefs. They see these areas as a vast library of history. Every part of the sea has a name and a story. Islands, reefs, and channels belong to the Mabuyag people because their mythical ancestors, like Sesere, Zigin, and Wad, caught turtles, dugong, or fish there.
The Mabuyag believe their afterworld, where spirits go after death, is in a place called Kibu to their northwest. They believe that when an Islander dies, their mari (life spirit) first goes to Boigu Island. From there, it becomes a markai (heavenly spirit) and sails to Kibu at sunset with the wind.
If a spirit cannot join other ancestors in Kibu, it might stay and cause problems for the living. Before missionaries arrived, the Mabuyag people would perform special rituals to help the deceased's spirit reach Kibu. These rituals included sacred dances and feasts a few weeks after a person died. The marigeth (a special term for in-laws) were always responsible for arranging these rituals and feasts.
After missionaries came, this tradition changed into the Kulaw Gudpudai (tombstone opening). Many important pre-Christian traditions still exist, though some with pagan meanings are now hidden or no longer practiced. The role of the marigeth is still very important. In-laws often pay for an engraved headstone, brought from cities like Cairns or Brisbane, and present it to the deceased's family with colorful cloth and money.
Within Mabuyag lore, families can only control land and sea rights around Mabuyag Island if their children live on the island and if relatives can ensure a proper tombstone opening. Moving away from the island can make it harder for people to carry out these burial practices. This also makes it difficult for descendants living away from Mabuiag Island to claim legal rights to family lands.
Community Facilities
The Torres Strait Island Regional Council runs the Ngalpun Ngulaygaw Lag Resource Centre on Main Street. This center is also known as the Mabuiag Indigenous Knowledge Centre (IKC). It is the oldest IKC operated by the Torres Strait Island Regional Council.
The IKC opened on August 9, 2002, to provide library services to the island community. It has worked with the State Library of Queensland on many projects. Two of these projects were Away with Words (2008) and Culture Love (2010). Culture Love continued the work of Away with Words. It led to a digital story that retold Amipuru, one of the myths from Margaret Lawrie's book, Myths and Legends of Torres Strait. In the Away with Words workshop, local children created artwork based on Amipuru. In the Culture Love workshop, the children made clay sculptures, images, and recorded an animated story in the local Kalaw Lagaw Ya language.
Famous Mabuyag People
The well-known Torres Strait Islander singer Christine Anu, famous for her song "My Island Home", has family roots from the Mabuyag people, as well as the people of Saibai Island.
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