Are Torres Strait Islanders considered Aboriginal?

Ethnically distinct from the Aboriginal people of the rest of Australia, they are often grouped with them as Indigenous Australians. Today there are many more Torres Strait Islander people living in mainland Australia (nearly 28,000) than on the Islands (about 4,500).

Where are the Torres Strait Islands located in Australia?

Map of Torres Strait Islands. Torres Strait Islanders ( / ˈtɒrɪs -/) are the Indigenous peoples of the Torres Strait Islands, which are part of the state of Queensland, Australia. Ethnically distinct from the Aboriginal people of the rest of Australia, they are often grouped with them as Indigenous Australians.

What language do the Torres Strait Islanders speak?

The Torres Strait Islanders have lived on the islands for many years and are further divided into two communities at Bamaga and Seisia. The islanders speak two languages with the inhabitants of the eastern island speaking Meriam Mir and the western and central islanders speaking Kala Kawa Ya.

How did Tagai create the Torres Strait Islander people?

Creation. A key figure in the creation stories of the Torres Strait Islander people is the Creator being named Tagai. Tagai, a great fisherman, was out with his crew of 12 on their canoe. They were having no luck catching any fish so Tagai left the group and went searching for fish in a nearby reef.

What is the population of the Torres Strait Islands?

In the 2016 Australian Census, there were 4,514 people living on the Islands, of whom 91.8% were Torres Strait Islander or Aboriginal Australian people. (64% of the population identified as Torres Strait Islander; 8.3% as Aboriginal Australian; 6.5% as Papua New Guinean; 3.6% as other Australian and 2.6% as “Maritime South-East Asian”, etc.).

What is the difference between Aboriginal Dreamtime and Torres Strait Islander Dreamtime?

Here are some of the differences between them: Aboriginal Dreamtime stories have a Rainbow Serpent as main character. This Serpent s considered to be the creator and protector of the land while Tagai is the main character of Torres Strait Islanders Dreamtime stories. Their stories are mainly focused on sky and stars.

Is adult literacy improving in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities?

And while there have been improvements in the literacy achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, levels of adult literacy are still very low in many communities. Closing the Gap has been a federal government priority for the last 10 years.