Images(5)

Motnu (Dugong)

Artist Jack Nabulaya (1928-1996)

Date1991

Object number00015589

NameSculpture

MediumWood, paint

DimensionsOverall: 90 x 440 x 800 mm, 1.35 kg

ClassificationsArt

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

DescriptionA carved wooden motnu (dugong) by Jack Nabulaya, Djurnurmunya, Northern Territory. Language: Nakara. Dugongs are a favoured food source for Indigenous communities and therefore appear as totems and in Dreamtime stories and Creation myths. Indigenous people respect the food resources that sustain them and they celebrate the turtle in rituals that aim to increase the bounty of the species.HistoryIndigenous Australians have fished for cultural and ceremonial reasons for as long as they have lived by coastal waters. Fish are important to Aboriginal people in their daily life, not only as a food source for basic nutrition, but fish and fish habitats also have a strong social, economic and educational value for Aboriginal communities. Fish are extremely important to many Indigenous communities as a food source, particularly in more remote areas and communities where alternative food supply is limited. Fish are caught to supplement the diet not only for health reasons but also for economic and practical reasons. Fishing and hunting are an important component of many cultural, ceremonial and social events varying from entertaining visiting relatives to specific traditional requirements and ceremonies. This knowledge is passed down to younger generations as part of an education process in culture and in practical subsistance. Sharing of fish or large marine animal is important socially and communally. Catches of fish are shared among the family, extended family and others who are not able to fish for themselves, such as the older members. Sharing often extends to barter and exchange of fish for other items and other food sources within other communities. This network is connected to the traditional responsibilities of land management and kinship.SignificanceFishing and hunting are vital elements of coastal Indigenous communities. There are varying methods of fishing and trapping dugong or turtle - spears, nets, line, hand and traps.