My Great-Grandfather by Nadia Seriat

My Great-Grandfather

by Nadia Seriat, Year 12

My Great-Grandfather (Athe), Mr Wigness Seriat, hails from Mabuiag Island (maternal side) and Kaurareg Nation (paternal side). Although my Great-Grandfather grew up around the time where there were many government policies and events that negatively impacted the identity and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, I envy his strength, pride and courage. He is a strong and proud Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island man who values his faith and belief in Jesus Christ. He has carried his culture and language with pride and always likes to share stories of his young days and upbringing. I like listening to when he talks about working on the pearling luggers. He was an engineer, who was responsible for the upkeep of the motor and the manoeuvering of the lugger. I enjoy listening to his stories of how they travelled and navigated the sea at night using the stars as their compass. Torres Strait Islander peoples are united by their connection to the stars of the Tagai, as the star constellation of Tagai gives signs for garden preparation, hunting and gathering of food, travelling and seasonal changes. It connects the people to the land, sea and culture. Tagai plays a vital role in the survival and identity of the Torres Strait Islands. It is the stars of Tagai that have guided the travels of my grandfather out on the luggers.

My Athe talks of the many songs that were composed by the men on the luggers telling the stories of their work on the sea, their travels, the wind, the sea and the skies. Today we listen, we sing and we dance to the songs our grandfathers have composed, teaching us our history of how they worked and travelled the sea. I am proud of my Athe; he is a great role model and is a pinnacle of our family. Because of the strength of the struggle my Athe and our forefathers have endured, we now have access to education, voting, voice and recognition of our cultural identity.