For me making the shell necklaces is about carrying on our Traditional Tasmanian Aboriginal Women’s cultural practice, to ensure the craft is passed on through oral knowledge by demonstrating practical...
For me making the shell necklaces is about carrying on our Traditional Tasmanian Aboriginal Women’s cultural practice, to ensure the craft is passed on through oral knowledge by demonstrating practical skills. Our on country cultural knowledge is learnt by understanding our landscape and sea country environment that teaches us the natural elements also controls when, where we visit, and how we treat our country and sea. We have worked with women around Tasmania encouraging them to get to know your local area what is safe or not safe to walk in that area and how much you should gather to maintain for future generations. The work I do today reflects on who I am where I grew up and what is important to tell about where these shells necklaces are created from my personal family story growing up on Cape Barren and Flinders Island, so I have lots of life experiences to put into my necklace stories. One shell necklace has been designed from the Cape Barren goose pattern depicting the colour of their feathers, feet, beak and under wing feathers.
My significant cultural practice is my whole being that is meant to identify us and where we come who we belong to in our family. We survive and evolve to maintain what our old women before us strongly practiced. It helped to maintain their women’s art/craft. It also helped to maintain family living conditions to buy clothes and food. I see it more for me today helping my family to share their culture is first important step to share knowledge and resources whilst walking on country is part of healing their whole being.