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Image courtesy of publisher's website.
y separately published work icon Stars of Tagai : The Torres Strait Islanders single work   prose   non-fiction  
Issue Details: First known date: 1993... 1993 Stars of Tagai : The Torres Strait Islanders
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

Stars of Tagai creates a picture of a unique sea culture rich in meanings and custom. The author's observations of Islander life over the past fourteen years join with the life stories of Islanders so giving depth to the book's theme: how conservation of cultural tradition underlies a process of renewal. ... The book explores four meanings of the tagai myth in the life of the islanders since the mid-nineteenth cenntury. Its main focus is a growing identity and self-awareness. This is the first book to examine the social issues involved in the historic Mabo case and to give a picture of the fabric of life of the merriam people of the Murray islands, a subgroup of the Torres Strait Islanders. It considers local historical precedents for current moves for political autonomy, examines the various reasons behind moves for sovereignty in the 1980s, and considers future options. (Publisher's blurb, back cover).

Notes

  • Dedication: For the children of the Torres Strait Islands in the memory of Kitty Ware, Harry captain, Wees Nawla, Cross field Ahmat, Sam Passi, Eddie Koiki Mabo.

Affiliation Notes

  • BW

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • Canberra, Australian Capital Territory,: Aboriginal Studies Press , 1993 .
      image of person or book cover 2202406488150433259.jpg
      Image courtesy of publisher's website.
      Extent: xxi, 321,[24]p. of platesp.
      Description: illus., maps.,ports.
      Note/s:
      • Author's Preface. Nonie Sharp. September 1992. (xi-xvi).
      ISBN: 0855752386

Works about this Work

[Review Essay] Stars of Tagai : The Torres Strait Islanders Judith Fitzpatrick , 1994 single work
— Appears in: Oceania , December vol. 65 no. 2 1994; (p. 188-189)

'This book is a welcome addition to the limited field of publications about Torres Strait Islanders and their history. Its greatest contribution originates from the chronicle of the Islanders' light for autonomy, control over their environment and recently, recognition as a distinct indigenous population within Australia. Publication of the manuscript was timed to coincide with the landmark Australian High Court decision (1992)in favour of the Murray Islander land claim recognising customary title, under common law, to their home island in Eastern Torres Strait. As a sociologist with many years experience in historical analysis on the region and notable contributions to the ongoing critique of protectionist policies in Queensland, the author shows a commendable dedication in her ardent documentation of the Torres Strait saga.' (Introduction)
 

[Review Essay] Stars of Tagai Maureen Fuary , 1994 single work essay
— Appears in: Australian Aboriginal Studies , no. 1 1994; (p. 53)

'Stars of Tagai: The Torres Strait Islanders contains an excellent coverage of Torres Strait Island responses and initiatives to various moments and phases of the colonial process, yet it is also a particularly difficult book which in its initial stages resists the reader. It is uneven in its construction and analysis, and this may be partly what Sharp is referring to when she speaks of the 'written project' as being 'asymmetrical' (p 15). Because Parts II—IV easily stand alone from Part I, a reader who wants ready access to the beautifully grounded Torres Strait Island narratives can skip Part I without losing access to Torres Strait Island people's own senses of themselves. The inclusion of large extracts of uninterrupted Torres Strait Island narratives, especially in Part III, is the highlight of the book. It is here that selected Torres Strait Island speakers eloquently elaborate their world views, and this works well (Chapters 4 to 6). Her linking of 'two circles of understanding' (hers and that of the 'stars'—creative Torres Strait individuals) is achieved only when she sufficiently situates her discussion in 'thick description' (Geertz 1973). At other times, the text (particularly in Part I) reads like a private flight of fancy, unconvincing and often unreadable.' (Introduction)

Mabo Case Social Issues Examined 1993 single work review
— Appears in: Koori Mail , 21 April no. 49 1993; (p. 18)

— Review of Stars of Tagai : The Torres Strait Islanders Nonie Sharp , 1993 single work prose non-fiction
Reverend Dave Passi... parish priest at Murray Island, launched Nonie Sharp's new book, Stars of Tagai: The first book ever to be launched on a Torres Strait Island.'
Religion and Resistance in the Torres Strait Frank Brennan , 1993 single work review
— Appears in: Arena Magazine , October/November no. 7 1993; (p. 54-56)

— Review of Stars of Tagai : The Torres Strait Islanders Nonie Sharp , 1993 single work prose non-fiction
Religion and Resistance in the Torres Strait Frank Brennan , 1993 single work review
— Appears in: Arena Magazine , October/November no. 7 1993; (p. 54-56)

— Review of Stars of Tagai : The Torres Strait Islanders Nonie Sharp , 1993 single work prose non-fiction
Mabo Case Social Issues Examined 1993 single work review
— Appears in: Koori Mail , 21 April no. 49 1993; (p. 18)

— Review of Stars of Tagai : The Torres Strait Islanders Nonie Sharp , 1993 single work prose non-fiction
Reverend Dave Passi... parish priest at Murray Island, launched Nonie Sharp's new book, Stars of Tagai: The first book ever to be launched on a Torres Strait Island.'
[Review Essay] Stars of Tagai Maureen Fuary , 1994 single work essay
— Appears in: Australian Aboriginal Studies , no. 1 1994; (p. 53)

'Stars of Tagai: The Torres Strait Islanders contains an excellent coverage of Torres Strait Island responses and initiatives to various moments and phases of the colonial process, yet it is also a particularly difficult book which in its initial stages resists the reader. It is uneven in its construction and analysis, and this may be partly what Sharp is referring to when she speaks of the 'written project' as being 'asymmetrical' (p 15). Because Parts II—IV easily stand alone from Part I, a reader who wants ready access to the beautifully grounded Torres Strait Island narratives can skip Part I without losing access to Torres Strait Island people's own senses of themselves. The inclusion of large extracts of uninterrupted Torres Strait Island narratives, especially in Part III, is the highlight of the book. It is here that selected Torres Strait Island speakers eloquently elaborate their world views, and this works well (Chapters 4 to 6). Her linking of 'two circles of understanding' (hers and that of the 'stars'—creative Torres Strait individuals) is achieved only when she sufficiently situates her discussion in 'thick description' (Geertz 1973). At other times, the text (particularly in Part I) reads like a private flight of fancy, unconvincing and often unreadable.' (Introduction)

[Review Essay] Stars of Tagai : The Torres Strait Islanders Judith Fitzpatrick , 1994 single work
— Appears in: Oceania , December vol. 65 no. 2 1994; (p. 188-189)

'This book is a welcome addition to the limited field of publications about Torres Strait Islanders and their history. Its greatest contribution originates from the chronicle of the Islanders' light for autonomy, control over their environment and recently, recognition as a distinct indigenous population within Australia. Publication of the manuscript was timed to coincide with the landmark Australian High Court decision (1992)in favour of the Murray Islander land claim recognising customary title, under common law, to their home island in Eastern Torres Strait. As a sociologist with many years experience in historical analysis on the region and notable contributions to the ongoing critique of protectionist policies in Queensland, the author shows a commendable dedication in her ardent documentation of the Torres Strait saga.' (Introduction)
 

Last amended 2 Dec 2015 15:09:35
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