This is my great great grandfather's design adorned on the shield. He was a well known Yirrganydji leader that carried ceremony on the Cairns Esplanade time and time again, even re-enacting the arrival of the first settlers to Cairns. It holds profound significance, embodying country, spirituality and protection. Endemic to rainforest Bama country, they are passed down at a certain ceremony and these sacred objects were not mere tools of combat but symbols of resilience and connection to place and time. Being taken off country in vast numbers by early researchers and pillagers we now mainly connect with them in collections but I hope to revitalise the knowledge through practice and dedication.