Smyth, 2006:

"Dugongs and marine turtles are important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples because these animals belong to sea country, and hence are part of the complex cultural relationship between saltwater peoples and their coastal land and sea estates.

The names and classification systems for dugongs and marine turtles are different in each of the more than 100 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages of northern Australia.

Dugongs and marine turtles feature in the creation stories of Indigenous cultures across northern Australia.

Each Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander group is identified or represented by a “totem”, which is specific element of the natural world that has special cultural significance for that group, and represents the identity of that group. A totem may be an animal (including dugongs and marine turtles), a plant, a water current or other natural feature. Gelam, the dugong, for example, is the totem of the people from Moa in Torres Strait.

In addition to totemic associations, individual Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can associate their personal identity with their role as dugong or turtle hunters.

Indigenous hunting of dugongs and marine turtles requires skills and knowledge, and is traditionally governed by strict protocols relating to who can hunt, where and how they hunt, and how the animal is killed, butchered and shared.

As a consequence of their long association and cultural and economic dependence on dugongs and marine turtles, Indigenous peoples of northern Australia hold a great deal of knowledge about the biology and behaviour of these animals."

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Citation and/or URL

Smyth, D., 2006, Dugong and marine turtle knowledge handbook: Indigenous and scientific knowledge of dugong and marine turtles in northern Australia. North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance.   

Spatial Coverage

North Australia

Temporal Coverage

Not applicable 

Update Frequency

 Not applicable 

Other Information

Totems, Stories and Ceremonies