anglican focus

The news site of the Anglican Church Southern Queensland: nourishing and connecting our faith community

Traditional Custodians

Resources & Research Saibai Elder Aunty Dr Rose Elu wearing a dress featuring the crocodile totem of her chieftain clan Resources & Research

My experience navigating the Anglican Church as a Torres Strait Islander person

“I also often invite other Anglicans to see that Torres Strait Islander Christians are Christians in our own way. We seamlessly blend our ancient sovereign ways and knowledges as Traditional Custodians with the wider Church’s ways and knowledges. For example, as part of my baptism as a baby, my mum removed my clothing and nappy and held me up in the sea breeze to be sprayed, to first be blessed, by the malu (ocean). She then took me to the church for the service,” says Aunty Dr Rose Elu

“As a child, I learnt to swim at this gorge on Kuku Yalanji Country in the Daintree Rainforest” (Lalania Tusa)
Features

NAIDOC Week: what ‘Heal Country’ means to me

“My traditional ‘Country’ is nestled in the tropical rainforest of Far North Queensland on Kuku Yalanji land that will always be a part of me. When we speak of ‘Country’, this not only includes the land, but the sea, reef beds, riverways, sky, mountain ranges, animals, plants and people, and so on,” says Kuku Yalanji Traditional Owner and Anglicare Cultural Support Worker, Lalania Tusa

Features

Traditional Custodians: educators

“I am often asked to yarn with young school students – facilitating yarning is an important role of a First Nations educator…Everything I know is from yarning, listening and learning from my family and Elders,” says Aunty Sandra King OAM