Akul (Mussel Shells): As told by Aunty Sarah
05 Akul (Mussel Shell) Aunty Sarah.mp3 (1672 KB) 
Mussel Shells are displayed in the Inquiry Centre at Queensland Museum South Bank.
Transcript
My name is Aunty Sarah and I’m from the far Eastern side of the Torres Strait Islands. My island is called Mer, or Murray Island.
I was born on Thursday Island, and brought up on Horne Island, which is my father’s Island, and my grandmother is a traditional owner there. I was also raised in Murray and some other islands in the Torres Strait, and on the mainland – from Bamaga to Weipa.
My descendents are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
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Now I’ll tell you a story about Akul. Akul is a mussel shell.
Akul is the name we give to the mussel shell, in Karulag language – an Aboriginal language from around the tip of Cape York.
We gather these shells from the mangroves. When the tide goes out, we see the shells sticking up in the mud and we collect them, put them in a basket and bring them home.
We take the creature out of the shell to make dry curry or soup. OR we leave it in the shell and throw it onto the coal of the fire to cook it and eat it.
Afterwards, the shell is used to grate the coconut for us to use for cooking and eating and to make coconut milk.
We also use the shell as a spoon to eat with.
Akul tastes similar to the taste of pipis – small ones. And they are already salty, especially if it is still in shell and cooked on open fire. If cooked in a pot, the taste is different again.
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