Torres Strait Islander music and dance in informal and formal educational contexts in Australia

Torres Strait Islanders constitute a minority within an Indigenous minority in Australia. Less research has been conducted on Torres Strait Islander education compared to Aboriginal education. Cultural practices such as music and dance are a means to express Islander identity and to articulate Islander concerns within wider society. However, culture and its place in the curriculum is problematic. While culture and cultural identity are important to many Islanders, other issues that impact on educational outcomes must also be addressed if there are to be real and effective changes. Nevertheless, music and dance can be important to Islanders living on the mainland as well as in the Torres Strait. Music and dance are means for Islanders to retain a connectedness to their homeland and to celebrate their cultural identity.