Gaetano Lui Junior interviewed by Aggie Hankin in the Torres Strait songs project [sound recording]

Gaetano Lui Jr., born on Thursday Island and raised on Yam-Iawa Island speaks about his schooling; working on the railway; his political career; being founding Chairperson of Torres Strait Regional Authority (1994); negotiating the Torres Strait Treaty; speaking at the United Nations; currently being the priest for St John the Divine Parish Church of Torres Strait at Yam; his first recollection music and dance; traditional language; Torres Strait Creole; children's status in community; Mixie Lui; how dancers hand actions, explain meaning of songs; railway songs; when Islanders gather socially they sing; railway work on mainland bringing islanders together for first time, who were previously separated by sea; changes in the community use of music and dance; Maino Kelly.

Lui Jr. discusses how the community was close knit and everyone participated but now more difficult because of other activities; trying to encourage language use at St Johns Church but few elder speakers left; singing hymns in language; during negotiations for east coast fishing licensing, songs were used to establish connections to those areas e.g. such as Swain Reefs to the Great Barrier Reef; the Yam language program; the importance of the Torres Strait Regional Authority recording project; having language is important to understanding one's heritage; not having heritage to pass down; envying other islands where language was strong; taking along fluent language speakers to community meetings to explain; how young people should grasp opportunity to learn language.