 A map of the Torres Strait Islands showing Mer in the north-eastern waters of Torres Strait (Kelisi, 2006) | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 875 (ABS, 2016) 450 (Mer Island) 85 (Ugar Island) 328 (Erub Island) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Mer (Murray) Island · Ugar (Stephen) Island · Erub (Darnley Island) | |
| Languages | |
| MeriamMir Language · Language family (Trans-Fly) | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity (predominantly Pentecostal and Anglican (ABS, 2016) |
MelanesianMeriam people are anIndigenous Australian group ofTorres Strait Islander people who are united by a common language, strong ties of kinship and live as skilled hunter–fisher–gatherers in family groups or clans on a number of inner easternTorres Strait Islands includingMer orMurray Island,Ugar orStephen Island andErub orDarnley Island.[1] The Meriam people are perhaps best known for their involvement in theHigh Court of Australia'sMabo decision which fundamentally changedland law inAustralia - recognisingnative title.[2]
Althoughgardening takes priority, each Meriam family has sea rights, and on thereefs in front of their houses, which are mainly built above the beach, they maintain stonefish-weirs andcrayfish holes.[3]
Melanesian Meriam people primarily reside in a small island of volcanic origin situated at the eastern end of theTorres Strait, known as Mer (Murray) Island.[1][4] The Murray group also comprises two other islands, Erub (Darnely) and Ugar (Stephens) Islands in which traditional laws of boundary and ownership organise them.[1][4] The three islands are considered as the Meriam cluster.[1] While these Islands predominantly containAboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who associate as Meriam people, each Island differs in their population anddemographics. Mer homes eight tribes of the Meriam people, which have been around for thousands of years. These include:
| Mer Island | Erub Island | |
| People | ||
| Male | 227 (50.8%) | 173 (52.7%) |
| Female | 220 (49.2%) | 155 (47.3%) |
| Aboriginal and/ or Torres Strait Islander people | 432 (96.4%) | 310 (95.7%) |
| Ancestry | ||
| Torres Strait Islander | 356 (72.1%) | 243 (62.1%) |
| Australian | 21 (4.3%) | 24 (6.1%) |
| Australian Aboriginal | 16 (3.2%) | 28 (7.2%) |
| English | 12 (2.4%) | 0 (0%) |
| Irish | 7 (1.4%) | 0 (0%) |
| Religion | ||
| Anglican | 210 (45.7%) | 79 (23.4%) |
| Christian | 74 (16.1%) | 53 (15.7%) |
| Pentecostal | 46 (10%) | 80 (23.7%) |
| Otherspiritual beliefs | 12 (2.6%) | 40 (11.8%) |
| Not stated | 77 (16.7%) | 39 (11.5%) |
| Languages | ||
| Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole) | 236 (52.6%) | 243 (73.9%) |
| Meriam Mir | 106 (23.6%) | 0 (0%) |
| English only | 16 (3.6%) | 13 (4.0%) |
| Households where a non-English language is spoken | 83 (69.7%) | 62 (75.6%) |
Table 1. Data collected from ABS (2016)[6]
Mer and Erub Island both have a large population henceABS data regarding demographics is available on the two islands,Ugar Island only comprises a small population of 85 people.[6] Hence not much ABS data is available. All that is known as of the 2016 ABScensus is that there are 60.7% males and 39.3% females with the median age of 19 comprising theUgar Island.[6]
Meriam people have a distinct culture from otherTorres Strait Islander groups.[7] Indigenous cultural groups rituals and practices are characterised by their beliefs in theDreamtime andmythologies.[8] Meriam people differ from other Indigenous groups as many of their rituals are surrounded by their engagement inagriculture and farming.[7] Hence Meriam people place great focus on enhancing individual garden productivity.[7] Therefore, common with all Indigenous groups, the younger generation learn from theirelders, hence Meriam fathers pass down their techniques ofgardening cultivation to their sons which would be carried on throughout future generations.[7] During certainceremonies such as deaths, marriages and adoption ceremonies excess produce would be made available for exchange to sustain those engaged in the cultural rituals.[7]
Totems are important inAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, as they are commonly adopted as a family or clanemblem used to maintain and continue connections withIndigenous land, theDreamtime and theirancestors.[9][10] These totems play great significance from the moment anIndigenous child is born, as at the time of birth a child is given a totem in order to connect them to their physical andkin relatedness.[9] Each Indigenous clan has different totems which are unique to them in their own ways.[9]
A shared totem among all eight Meriam tribes is ashark.[10] This totem arises from a story in which a father and son got lost while hunting and waited for sharks to rescue them.[10] Therefore, sharks are seen as a totem animal who would protect the Meriam people and not attack them.[10] It is forbidden for men (who usually would hunt prior toEuropean colonisation) tohunt sharks as they are seen as animals who would not harm the Meriam people.[10]
While individual clan'stotems arise fromstories, over time these stories have been lost aselders have been unable to communicate them to younger generations due topast policies that separatedAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.[11] However, the following totems are known for the following tribes of the Mer people:
The stories told by elders to the younger generations allow for the transgenerational learning of the Meriam culture.[7] Some of the stories explain why certain rituals or practices are important in Indigenous clans.[13]
Torres Strait Islanders in particular the Mer people areseafarers, sea country was used as a place forgardening,hunting,fishing,ceremonies, art, music, dance andstorytelling.[13] The story of Nageg (pronounced Nar-gegg) and Geigi (pronounced Gay-gee) explains the importance of sea country.[13] It explains how Nageg and Geigi, a mother and son became known astriggerfish andtrevally, through acreation story of the Tig Dowareb Clan ofMurray Island.[10] The story begins with Geigi, the son disguising himself as akingfish among manysardines to fool an old man who would hunt for sardines.[14] When the old man notices he is being fooled he takes Geigi disguised as the kingfish home one night for dinner and eats him, falling asleep soon after under a tree.[14] Nageg, the mother cuts open the old man and takes Geigi out demanding him to live in the ocean to break the spears of those who try to spear him eventually becoming trevally.[14] Whereas Geigi demands Nageg to live on the rock cave on the reef piercing anyone with her fin if they try to catch her, becomingtriggerfish.[14]
The Gelam story explains the creations of the three islands – Mer, Waier and Dauar of the Murray group, which resulted due to Gelam's mother's trickery and Gelam's lies.[15] Gelam was a boy who lived inMoa Island in theTorres Strait, he was known for his skilful hunting.[15] The story begins by Gelam purposely keeping the fat birds he would hunt for himself and giving his mother the lean birds.[15] After his mother noticed this, she decided to scare him one day while he was hunting by dressing up as a dogai by covering herself in mud, this worked and successfully scared Gelam as he ran home frightened.[15] However, Gelam realised his mother played a trick on him as he noticed the residue of mud under her eyes when he reached home, this caused Gelam to leave his home, he gathered fruits, seeds and soils and set off in the canoe he carved himself.[15] Gelam reached theGreat Barrier Reef, where it is said today if you fly to theTorres Strait overCentral Islands some of the reefs look like Gelam's tears from when he was leaving his home crying.[15] This journey eventually led to the creation of three islands – Mer, Waier and Dauar.[15]
Christianity is the most common religion preached on the Murray, Ugar and Erub Islands, withAnglicanism andPentecostalism being the most populated sectors.[1][6] Christianity has influenced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanderspirituality, as a result of past policies such assegregation andassimilation policies which separated Indigenous people from their families restricting them from practicing their spiritual beliefs, and instead raising them with Christian values.[11] As a result, manyIndigenous Australians are Christian today.[1] However Indigenous spirituality and Christian spirituality can peacefully coexist in Indigenous people's lives, particularly for the Meriam people.[1]
As quoted by an elder ofMurray Island, "culture is very important…culture is identity" and "religion is very important…God taught spirit and wisdom".[1] Meriam people both express theircultural identity through their dreamtime stories and rituals, while still valuing their religion.[1] Christianity was also easily accepted by the Meriam people because before religion the Mer people would follow the rule of Malo, which has principles and structure similar to Christianity.[1]
A significant tradition of the Meriam people that still remains significant today despite the influence ofEuropean colonisation is Meriam people's death rites.[16] In the death rituals and customs of Meriam people of the Murray Island, brightmeteors play an important role which relate to spiritual elements of death rites.[16]
Maier, the name given to bright meteors is symbolic as it not only informs observers about the passing of a person in their community it also enables spirits of the dead to communicate with those alive.[16] Maier therefore informs people about their life, social status and follows as a warning to followtraditional customs, while representing the dead or dying person's spirit.[16] The brightness, colour and trajectory of the Maier further informs the observer about characteristics of the person and their life.[16] The knowledge and meaning behind Maier's are passed down through oral tradition, such asstorytelling and material culture as it is significant in serving as a means of culture[16]
The Meriam people are most commonly known for their contribution toNative Title, which recognised theirrights to their land and overturned the expanded doctrine ofterra nullius as applicable to domestic law.[2] The five Meriam people who contributed to this wereEddie Koiki Mabo, Reverend David Passi, Sam Passi, James Rice and Celuia Mapo Sale.[2]
TheMabo case began on 20 May 1982 primarily led by Eddie Mabo and the four other mentioned Meriam people. On 3 June 1992terra nullius was overturned and native title was recognised by the High Court, recognising the Meriam people were entitled to all rights and use of the Murray Islands.[2]
The Murray Island returning to thetraditional owners (Meriam people) is significant for Meriam people, as prior to European contact they had a strong sense of connection to theirislands,seas andreefs surrounding them.[17][7] Hence being stripped of this not only resulted in loss of traditions but also a loss ofkinship ties.[1]
Mabo and the four other Meriam people's contribution were significant to rekindling their connection to the land, and as a result Meriam people celebrate theHigh Court's ruling of the Native Title every June third, paying tribute to Mabo.[18] The Mer people gather together performing dances, prayers and feast to acknowledge the achievements of the applicants.[18]
Wasie Tardent and Clinton Naina are one of the few Meriam artists that narrate theirstorytelling traditions throughartwork.[19]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Totems connect people through their physical and kin relatedness. Totems are still important today in Aboriginal culture and are still used as a way of continuing and maintaining connections with the land, the Dreamtime and their ancestors. At the time of birth, or just before the birth, a child is given totem(s).
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