Tillett aims to help highlight Torres Strait Islands culture

A proud Moa and Murray Island woman, Tahlulah Tillett is excited to be representing her family and culture during NRL Harvey Norman All Stars week, not only through her performance on the field, but as part of the pre-game dance as well.

Tillett – who was a member of the Newcastle Knights NRLW 2021 season team – is a talented halfback in addition to being a skilled dancer and has been performing Torres Strait Islands dances since she was a little girl.

“I've always grown up around my Torres Strait Islands culture and any opportunity that we get to island dance (we do),” Tillett said.

“It's just a part of our life and a part of our culture.

“(We dance at) family gatherings and we've got special events that we island dance for, so I just grew up doing that.

“It's just something cultural that keeps that cultural fire burning inside.”

As one of a handful of players in the women’s team with Torres Strait Island heritage, Tillett was thrilled to be able to showcase some of the aspects unique to her culture to her Aboriginal teammates, and to the rest of the rugby league world as well.

“I love doing it and to be able to do it here with the girls and obviously teach them how we go about things in the Torres Strait is really cool, and it's just an honour to be here to be able to represent our culture and people,” Tillett said.

Team cultural advisor Aunty Linda Biumaiwai said preparing to perform this year’s Indigenous women’s team Unity Dance was an inclusive effort to ensure all players felt connected.

“There's been a long history over the last few years that's built this Unity Dance and has had previous players contribute; and what we do each year is talk to our current playing group to make sure that they are comfortable and that they feel like their mob are represented,” Aunty Linda said.

“But our girls also incorporate their individual totems, so that's where they bring their individuality, but this is about connecting with the whole of Australia and all mobs, so we just want to be able to make everybody proud. 

“We spend quite a lot of time coming together and we spend quite a lot of time doing the dance, because it's not only about the moves and learning the different moves, it's about the connection and the representation that goes with that.

“So, we put in a lot of time and effort, and we connect our spirits in learning that dance.”

The men’s Indigenous All Stars team will also be performing their own Unity Dance before the game and have undergone their own separate process during their time in camp.

Australian Rugby League Indigenous Council member Edward Monaei said while the Indigenous All Stars teams had always worked to include and showcase all elements of Indigenous culture, this year there had been a specific focus on helping to incorporate more elements of Torres Strait Islands culture as well, and not just as part of the pre-game dances.

“We are working on a merging of culture and embracing our diversity and taking a wholistic approach,” Monaei said.

“From an Australian (Indigenous) perspective, we have two identities, the Aboriginal perspective and the Torres Strait Islands perspective.

“This year, it's a combination of both (cultures), but showing they are very unique in terms of each will have their own respective representation; not just from a dance performance perspective and language performance perspective.

“But more importantly, the focus will be on how it's interwoven, which is quite unique.

“It's something that we haven't really done in a in a critical sense before. Now more than ever being here in New Zealand really signifies that, because being away, it really resonates how important both of our cultures are and we are making sure that we are uniquely represented, but also equally acknowledged and recognised.”