Research in Tudu and Iama / Yam Island

Research in Tudu and Iama was undertaken by Charlie Kaddy. Kaddy, Acting CEO of Gur a Baradharaw Kod (GBK), kindly agreed to interview Lui Ned David, Chair of GBK and direct descendant of Maino and Maino’s father, Chief Kebisu.

Recordings

Ned David

Lui Ned David traces his ancestral relationship with Maino, and discusses Maino's connection with Haddon. He then speaks of the importance of the artefacts held in Cambridge for culture and comments on identifying Maino's song.

Ned David

Lui Ned David discusses access protocols for recordings and artefacts from Torres Strait in the Haddon collections, and the permissions required for Maino's recordings.

Historical Recordings

Charlie Kaddy interviewed Lui Ned David about the following cylinder recordings from Tudu and Iama / Yam Island, from the Alfred Cort Haddon 1898 Expedition (Torres Strait and British New Guinea) Cylinder Collection (C80).

British Library shelfmark	Recording title	Performer name	Recording location	Recording date	Content description	Performer description	Recording notes	Languages	Genre	Recordist	Recording length	Recording trip	Description of cylinder	Collection title	Cylinder location	Images of cylinder containers / documentation	Related print publication:	Related print publication:	Related print publication:	Related print publication:	Related print publication:	Related print publication:
C80/1081	Korara kwiku puidaik	Gizu (singer, male); Maino (singer, male, Mamoose of Tudu / Warrior Islet and Iama / Yam Island)	Torres Strait Islands	3 October 1898 – 22 October 1898	1. Announcement: "Korara kwiku puidaik, sung by Gizu." 2. Unaccompanied male vocal solo. 3. "Karara kwiku puidaik, sung by Maino." 4. Unaccompanied male vocal solo [probably retake of 2.]. This recording corresponds to Charles S. Myers' Mabuiag Song IX. Possibly a crocodile mask dance belonging to the Kodal augad or crocodile clan. A version of the 'kulai kuiku kab' or ‘crocodile dance’ is in Laade (1977:4). Ray noted that 'kora' [Tudu dialect] corresponds to 'kodal' ‘crocodile’. 'kuik(u), kwik' translates to ‘head’. 'Nau-puidai' translates 'to sing' (Ray 1907:38). The term 'mariget' translates to 'ghost hand', a 'decreed individual' who 'takes on the role of primary organiser and planner' following a death in the community e.g. announcements, funeral planning. (Fitzpatrick (2000) 1.6 Tombstone ceremonies: Identity and political integration, pg. 37). Two individuals with the name Mariget (also known as Sandy or Waime) are noted in the Mabuiag genealogies (Rivers Vol V Tables 2A and 3A 1904:125). Men would exchange names with each other (and sometimes their wives and children too). Mariget is also mentioned in Vol IV (1912:xiv;221). Inscription on insert notes: 'Korara kwiku puidaik / by Gizu Mariget. / 65 T.S.' There does not seem to be evidence that Gizu and Maino were in the same location with Ray during the 1898 Cambridge Expedition. Gizu was recorded on Mabuiag. The two tracks may have been recorded on separate occasions.		Reasonable quality recording with strong signal but also some speed fluctuation. As no specific recording location has been identified, the recording date range is based on when any members of the Cambridge Expedition were present in the Torres Strait in 1898. Ray notes that he recorded two songs ('Good records') by Gizu on 7 October 1898 (Ray 1898:89). These may be C80/1072 and 1081, or possibly C80/1067.	Kala Lagaw Ya (Possibly Kulkalgaw Ya, a variety of Kala Lagaw Ya, spoken on Iama / Yam Island. Maino, one of the performers, was the Mamoose of Tudu / Warrior Islet and Iama / Yam Island.)	Field recordings	Ray, Sidney H.	2'20"	1898 Cambridge Anthropological Expedition to Torres Straits	Brown wax cylinder. Metal cylinder case.	Alfred Cort Haddon 1898 Expedition (Torres Strait and British New Guinea) Cylinder Collection	British Library		Ray, S.H. 1898-99. Journal: Torres Straits Expedition 1898-99. [manuscript] Copies of journals and correspondence of Sidney Herbert Ray. MS 380314. London: SOAS Library.	Haddon, A.C. (ed.) 1907. Reports of the Cambridge Anthropological Expedition to Torres Strait: Volume III, The Languages of Torres Strait. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. British Library shelfmark General Reference Collection YC.2011.b.631.	Laade, Wolfgang. 1977. Traditional Songs of the Western Torres Straits, South Pacific. Folkways Records Album No. FE 4025 [sleeve notes] New York: Folkways Records. British Library Sound Archive shelfmark 1LP0083172. See http://www.si.edu/folkways
C80/1093	Yam II	Maino (singer, male, Mamoose of Tudu / Warrior Islet and Iama / Yam Island)	Iama / Yam Island, Torres Strait Islands ?	22 October 1898, 25 October 1898, or 27 October 1898	1. Announcement: "Yamaz sibared, sung by Maino of Yam." 2. Unaccompanied male vocal solo. No further information available. Inscription on insert: ‘Yamaz sibared / sung by Maino / of Yama’. This recording corresponds to Charles S. Myers' Yam Song II. Notation, words and translation published in Myers (1912:263, 269). Discussion of Yam songs in Myers (1912:264). Yamazi barid is translated as 'along Yam Id. Cuscus'.		Good quality recording with strong signal but some surface noise. Haddon, Seligman and Ray visited Iama / Yam Island on 22 October 1898 to pick up Maino and a policeman called Kaikai before heading to Saibai on the same day (Haddon 1901:xiii, 170). They returned to Iama on 25 October and left on 27 October (Haddon 1898:254, 257 – 258). Ray noted that he 'obtained some records but singers too low' on 26 October during his visit to Iama (1898:90)	Kala Lagaw Ya (Possibly Kulkalgaw Ya, a variety of Kala Lagaw Ya, spoken on Iama / Yam Island.)	Field recordings	Ray, Sidney H.	1'43"	1898 Cambridge Anthropological Expedition to Torres Straits	Brown wax cylinder. Cardboard cylinder case.	Alfred Cort Haddon 1898 Expedition (Torres Strait and British New Guinea) Cylinder Collection	British Library		Ray, S.H. 1898-99. Journal: Torres Straits Expedition 1898-99. [manuscript] Copies of journals and correspondence of Sidney Herbert Ray. MS 380314. London: SOAS Library.	Haddon, A.C. 1898-89. Journal. [manuscript] MS.HADDON. Cambridge: Cambridge University Library.	Haddon, A.C. 1901. Head-Hunters. Black, White and Brown. London: Metheun & Co. General Reference Collection 010055.e.28.