i. Totems

A totem could be a physical object or animal that is adopted as a family or clan emblem. Some Traditional Owner groups and individuals in the groups can be identified by their totems, which can be such things as birds, reptiles (like crocodiles), sharks, turtles and fish.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are bestowed totems from an early age. They are an important part of their cultural identity and are especially significant in song, dance or names on cultural implements. Some clans forbid their individuals from hunting or eating the animal that is their totem.

j. Storylines and songlines

In the GBR region, a number of storylines and song lines run across the land and into the water, linking natural environments and Traditional Owner groups, and crossing modern-day natural resource management jurisdictions. Various features in the landscape may represent parts of stories and may have songs associated with them. For example, in the Tully – Cardwell - Townsville region, a number of Traditional Owner groups have a story line for the rainbow serpent, which moved from the Tully River, through the Hinchinbrook Channel, through the Palm Island Group to Magnetic Island, which is the serpent’s head.

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Citation and/or URL

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, 2005, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Heritage Strategy. Australian Government. 

Spatial Coverage

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Temporal Coverage

2005

Update Frequency

Not applicable 

Other Information

None