Ephraim Bani Ephraim Bani i(A76473 works by)
Born: Established: 2 Jul 1944 ; Died: Ceased: 2004
Gender: Male
Heritage: Torres Strait Islander
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

Works By

Preview all
1 Hunter Skills : The Dugong, the Hunter and the Talking Sea Grass Ephraim Bani , 2004 single work essay
— Appears in: Woven Histories, Dancing Lives : Torres Strait Islander Identity, Culture and History 2004; (p. 271, 272)
1 Initiation Ephraim Bani , 2004 single work essay
— Appears in: Woven Histories, Dancing Lives : Torres Strait Islander Identity, Culture and History 2004; (p. 230, 231)
1 What is a Totem? Ephraim Bani , 2004 single work column
— Appears in: Woven Histories, Dancing Lives : Torres Strait Islander Identity, Culture and History 2004; (p. 151)
1 Evidence of Cultural Custodianship Ephraim Bani , 2004 single work column
— Appears in: Woven Histories, Dancing Lives : Torres Strait Islander Identity, Culture and History 2004; (p. 31, 32)
1 Culture Connections Ephraim Bani , 2004 single work essay
— Appears in: Woven Histories, Dancing Lives : Torres Strait Islander Identity, Culture and History 2004; (p. 30, 31)
1 The Sea Walter Nona , Ephraim Bani , 2003 single work life story
— Appears in: Elders : Wisdom from Australia's Indigenous Leaders 2003; (p. 79, 97)
1 form y separately published work icon Cracks in the Mask Frances Calvert , Ephraim Bani , ( dir. Frances Calvert ) Sydney : Talking Pictures , 1997 Z1539746 1997 single work film/TV

'Over the last 100 years, the Torres Strait Islanders in far north Australia have been the subject of many anthropological expeditions. The resulting depletion of their cultural artefacts has left them with nothing but a history of remembered loss. The only people in the Pacific to make elaborate turtleshell masks have none left; all their material culture now resides in foreign museums.

'In a quest to reclaim the past, Ephraim Bani, a wise and knowledgeable Torres Strait Islander, travels with his wife to the great museums of Europe where his heritage lies. Ephraim unburdens himself to his diary in moments of poignant revelation: the artefacts made by his ancestors have undergone a transformation as museum displays. When Ephraim asks for the return of some objects, the resulting debate exposes wider questions about contemporary museum culture as well as the complexity of international and Indigenous politics. They thought it would be easy to talk to the curators about the restitution of some objects; but to his mind, museums were in competition with each other to own the greatest treasures.

'As the title suggests, even the thickest of masks can crack when the original owners come to visit.'

Source: Ronin Films (distributor).

1 Warupaw Uu - Echo Of Drums Ephraim Bani , 1992 single work column
— Appears in: The Torres News , 21-27 February 1992; (p. 20-21)
1 2 y separately published work icon Dabu, the Baby Dugong Dabu, Kazi Dhangal Selena Solomon , Dennis Nona (illustrator), Ephraim Bani (translator), Western Australia : Magabala Books , 1992 Z838179 1992 single work picture book children's 'From the Torres Strait comes this moving story about Dabu, a shy baby dugong, and his family, the great dugong herd, as they face the dangers of sea life and the traditional hunters that roam their feeding grounds.' (Source: Publisher's blurb)
1 y separately published work icon Ina Aadhi Ephraim Bani , Darwin : Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education School of Linguistics , 1975 Z1747024 1975 single work prose Indigenous story
1 Deibui and Teikui Ephraim Bani , 1970 single work prose Indigenous story
— Appears in: Myths and Legends of Torres Strait 1970; (p. 87)
X