Leah Lui-Chivizhe

Leah recently submitted her PhD dissertation, titled, Le op: an Islander’s history of Torres Strait turtle-shell masks. A student of the School of History, University of Sydney her thesis examined Torres Strait Islander engagements and knowledge of their marine world and the Islander-turtle relationship. A major focus of this research involved locating and studying the large three dimensional turtle-shell masks that were traded or taken from the Torres Strait throughout the 19th century. Along with honouring the cultural and ecological knowledge of Islanders, Leah is hopeful her work on these iconic masks will engage the broader community with the extensive history and cultural significance of Islanders’ mask-making practices.