firstnation

Taxidermy is the art of preserving an animal's body via mounting (over an armature) or stuffing, for the purpose of display or study. Animals are often, but not always, portrayed in a lifelike state. The word taxidermy describes the process of preserving the animal, but the word is also used to describe the end product, which are called taxidermy mounts or referred to simply as "taxidermy". The word taxidermy is derived from the Greek words taxis and derma.[1] Taxis means "arrangement", and derma means "skin" (the dermis).[1] The word taxidermy translates to "arrangement of skin".[1] Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxidermy

Boomerangs are an internationally recognised symbol of Australia. For Aboriginal people the boomerang is as old as creation and a symbol of the enduring strength of Aboriginal culture. The boomerang has also been a popular symbol for tourism and travel, with notions of visitors returning ‘like a boomerang’. The boomerang is a symbol of cultural endurance and a tangible link to the long presence of Aboriginal people on the continent. Boomerangs have many uses for First Nations people, including as a weapon and a tool, for hunting and digging, and in ceremonies. Some are designed to return to the thrower but the vast majority are not. For many thousands of years, Aboriginal groups exchanged boomerangs across the continent. Trade in boomerangs continued after 1788. European fascination with the boomerang, especially the returning variety, meant that early barter with settlers, and then tourists, led Aboriginal people to create an industry making boomerangs. That trade continues today. Source: www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/defining-symbols-australia/boo...

Aboriginal breastplates (also called king plates or aboriginal gorgets) were a form of regalia used in pre-Federation Australia by white colonial authorities to recognise those they perceived to be local Aboriginal leaders. The breastplates were usually metallic crescent-shaped plaques worn around the neck by the wearer. Aboriginal people did not traditionally have kings or chiefs. They lived in small clan groups with several elders—certain older men and women—who consulted with each other on decisions for the group. By appointing kings of tribes, and granting them king plates, the white colonial powers went against the more collegiate grain of traditional Aboriginal culture. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aboriginal_breastplate#:~:text=Abor...(also%20called%20king,around%20the%20neck%20by%20wearer.

Sophie Mummig was for Woorabinda, Fortitude Valley, c.1906. Photo by Roland Ruddle. This photo is in the book: "Colonization and Domestic Service: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives" edited by Victoria K. Haskins, Claire Lowrie