Traditional community-based knowledge for envisioning climate change action for the Torres Strait

The stars have been a compass and an encyclopedia for Torres Strait Islander people for thousands of years. The constellations of Tagai, the warrior, and baidam, the shark, guide the way for navigation on the sea and herald the changing seasons. As a child, my elders taught me what the changing seasons meant: when to plant, the change in the trade winds, when to hunt turtle and dugong and ceremonies. My elders also told me that they had noticed changes in the climate, such as the tides that were inundating the cemetery where our ancestors lie and changes to flowering of plants. These changes to the climate have also been documented by the Traditional Owners.