State Queensland | ||
 | ||
Island groups Torres Strait Islands, Three Sisters | ||
Warraber (Sue Island) is the middle island of The Three Sisters, Torres Strait 100 km North East of Thursday Island Queensland, Australia in the Vigilant Channel Torres Strait. Situated on a coral cay, Sue Island has an abundance of traditional foods such as wongai and coconuts. Fish, turtles and dugong inhabit the warm waters and coral reefs surrounding the island.
Contents
Map of Sue Islet, Queensland, Australia
This island is one of the Torres Strait Islands.
People
The people of Sue Island are part of the Kulkalaig, of the Central Islands of Torres Strait, including Nagi. Specifically, the Nagilgal and of Waraberalgal are the same people. Life on the island remains very traditional and includes hunting, dancing and thayilai (feasts); vital components of contemporary life.
Language
The day-to-day language of Waraber is Brokan (Torres Strait Creole), however, the traditional language of the people of Waraber is Kulkalgau Ya, one of the four dialects of Kalaw Lagaw Ya.
Kulkalagau Ya phrases:
Ni midhadh? How are you?
Ninu nel nga? What is your name?
Stuwa unaga? Where is the store?
Ninu waru ubilaig, au? Do you like turtle?
Ni kulkalgadh yamuleka, au? Do you speak Kulkalgau Ya?
Ni markaidh muleka, au? Do you speak English?
Ina ngau mudh. This is my house.
Kayib mina kapu goeiga. This is a really nice day.
Maal kapu idi. The sea is dead calm.
Inabi ai mina kapu mithalnga. This food is very delicious.
Aye, ngoeba buthuka. Come, let's go to the beach.
Religion
Many Sue Islanders still retain strong links to their traditional religion, centering on ancestor worship, including a totemic clan structure. An important religious figure was Kulka, one of Malo-Bomai's brothers. The inhabitants (Kulkalgal) are named for Kulka.
On 1 July every year the residents of Sue Island observe the "Coming of the Light". On this date in 1871, a Christian reverend named Samuel MacFarlane of the London Missionary Society tried to proselytize the natives of the Torres Strait to Christianity. Currently, there are two main churches on the island, including the more traditional Church of the Torres Strait and the Pentecostal Assemblies of God Church.
Navigation
This island houses new ship tracking and communications technologies (Automatic Identification Systems) and ship polling via the INMARSAT C satellite system.