...I think it came very strongly...

'I think it came very strongly when I made an address for July first in 1976. I'd become more proud of my culture, proud of what I'd inherited and I think that brought about values of what I had before; from Malo. So I compared them and to me Christianity came out of the Administration and all that kills. The only thing is the Light. We can see other things in the Light. We can interpret them in the Light of what Christ is saying. In the Light of Christ, the Islander is able to distinguish between the thief that comes to steal, to kill and to destroy and the true representatives of Christ the Light of the World. My dreams are to see this, an Island Church, offering what is Island to God. Within our Island custom we retain the personality of each one of us. So unity means the yumi [you-me], which is beautiful.'

Keywords: Christianity, Malo, Meriam culture, Meriam history, Passi, Reverend Dave, Stars of Tagai, 1871-

Sharp, Nonie 1993, 'Stars of Tagai', Aboriginal Studies Press, selected, pp 109-10. Still: Courtesy of Trevor Graham.
Source: Passi, Rev Dave