This story was written as part of the black&write! Project, run by the State Library of Queensland to foster Indigenous writing talent. Jillian Boyd explains that she used a painting by Uncle Emphraim Bani as inspiration in a creative writing workshop, and incorporated Torres Strait Islander language, customs and beliefs into this fictional story.
The story is of Bakir, his wife Mar, and their two children Tam and Lusik. They are from the Kedawer people of Egur (both people and island are fictional), and they are very happy. Egur is known for its abundance of food, from the land and from the sea. The food was always shared among the villagers, and there was always enough for everyone. Although life was perfect there, Bakir had a bad dream that seemed to warn of trouble on the way. He instructed Mar that if anything happened to him, she should take the children and leave Egur, following the Morning Star eastwards.
Soon the hard times arrived. A drought set in, and there was very little water or food. Even the fish and other sea creatures seemed to disappear. During this time, Bakir found a young pelican stranded on the beach. The other islanders would have eaten it, but Bakir’s family totem was the pelican. He named it Bi and hid it in a cave, and he and his family cared for it until it was old enough to fend for itself. One day Bakir and Bi disappeared without a trace, and then Mar knew it was time. She packed up the canoe and she and the children headed east across the sea, through storms and crises, until they reached their new home.
This landscape-oriented book is shaped like a small picture book but the text is the length of a short junior novel. Each double page spread features the text on one side and the illustration on the other. Some spreads have text on both sides. The illustrations are line drawings with minimal colour, mostly blocks of green and brown. For all their simplicity they are effective, and the faces of Bakir and his family are especially engaging.
At the end of the book is a glossary of Meriam Mir and Youmpla Tok, which includes meanings and pronunciation. There is also an Author’s Note in which the background of this book is described, and additional information given about Torres Strait Islander culture.
Jillian Boyd is from the Samsep and Zagareb tribes from Mer and Erub, and she grew up on Thursday Island. Tori-Jay Mordey is Jillian Boyd’s niece. She was born on Thursday Island, and is descended from the Meriam and Maluyigal clans.
Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Resource
