Warramiri and Golumala clan leaders describe our special connection to sea Country in this way:

Manbuyŋa and Rulyapa are two currents that come together to form the seas off our homelands. In the course of their journey through and under the water they separate and then come together again. Within these waters are our sacred totems, song cycles, ceremonies and the pathways of creation beings. Responsibility for them is apportioned throughout our community. 

More of our totems come from the sea than from the land; sacred sites, although they have been underwater for thousands of years now, are still sung about; our ceremonial dances are about the sea and many of our creation spirits began in the sea.  And as most of our food traditionally comes from the sea, both spiritually and physically the wellbeing of the sea has always been and remains crucial to our wellbeing.

Our sea Country includes the open sea, bays, estuaries, islands, rocky outcrops, reefs, the intertidal zone and beaches.

We care for our sea Country with as much passion and commitment as we do for our land. We need a stronger voice in policies related to sea Country and to have a stronger presence on our waters so that we can ensure that we have the power and control to uphold our ancestral and ongoing responsibilities to sea Country to keep it healthy, and keep ourselves healthy.