Torres Strait YouthA new interactive exhibit by Kholan Mairu-

Kaczmarek.

Choose a section you wish to learn about. About the Torres Strait. Schooling in the

Torres Strait.What kids do for fun.

Info on Torres Strait families.

Torres Strait traditions . Videos.Quiz

Torres Strait Quiz.Test you’re knowledge on Torres Strait

Islands facts.

Where are the Torres Strait Islands Located?

A. Off the coast of AfricaB. Between Papua New Guinea and the tip of

AustraliaC. Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean

WRONGSorry try again.

What is the name of the Torres Strait school sports carnival?.A. BammoaB. BammaC. Soccer

What is the age when a boy first goes hunting?

A. 7 B. 17C. 27

True or False. Boys are preferred because they can carry on the family name? YesNoThis is a trick question

A. 1,000 people B. 3 millionC. 500

Approximately how many people are on each island?

YOU WIN

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The Torres Strait Islands are situated between Australia and Papua New Guinea. The population of the inhabited islands range between 200 to 1,000 people. Out of 200 people on an island there are about 50 youths.

Home page ABOUT THE TORRES STRAIT

Schooling in the Torres Strait.

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• Schooling in the Torres Strait is from kindergarten to 7th grade. Students attend secondary and tertiary education on Thursday Island or on mainland Australia. • Classroom lessons include most subjects as well as traditional lessons such as language, singing, dancing and arts and craft.

Schooling in Torres Strait.For sports and other

activities they play rugby league, volleyball and basketball. Inter-school sports are held each year which then leads to inter-island sports for example Bammoa Sports Day which is a fun sports carnival with representatives from each of the island schools competing.

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Girls are expected to help with house duties like cooking, cleaning and taking care of elders or siblings.

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What kids do for fun

FUN IN TORESS STRAIT.When school is finished

the kids play playstation games or other video games for fun. They watch television or listen to radio. They like to listen to modern music and traditional music.

Kids also spend a lot of time outdoors exploring the islands and swimming in the sea.

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FUN IN TORRES STRAIT.Because the islands

are surrounded by seas and reefs, many older boys like to go out hunting with adult men. They enjoy going out on fast dinghies to the reefs to dive for fish and hunt for turtles.

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FamilyTorres Strait Islanders have big families. It is

normal for grandparents to live in the same house as their children, usually their eldest son or daughter. Parents usually hope for a baby boy because he can carry on the family name. Most families are close because they live in the same villages on one island.

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TraditionsTraditions and customs are most important to the

youth in their upbringing. Many people may not know that Christian names are very important in Island culture and Islanders often keep the same name in the family for generations.

Language has the same importance in youth upbringing therefore songs and dances in language are taught to youth even as young as toddlers.

Feastings are held for celebrations such as milestone birthdays, engagements, weddings, christenings, tombstone unveilings, first shaves and other traditional ceremonies.

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TRADITIONSThe most important tradition for young boys is the

manhood test. This is an initiation in which boys become men.

At the age of 17 or older a boy is taken out to a reef by older men to hunt for a turtle, if he succeeds then the village women gather at his mother’s house singing and crying tears of joy. They take over the house by cooking a meal and eating with her and then as they leave they take one item from the house to keep.

This means her son who has become a man is now able to provide for the family and replace the items that were taken.

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