Buka (also Boka or Booka), is the name for the cloak traditionally worn by

Noongar The Noongar (, also spelt Noongah, Nyungar , Nyoongar, Nyoongah, Nyungah, Nyugah, and Yunga ) are Aboriginal Australian peoples who live in the south-west corner of Western Australia, from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the so ...

peoples, the

Indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

peoples of south-western Australia. Unlike in the south-east, where peoples such as

Yorta Yorta The Yorta Yorta, also known as Jotijota, are an Aboriginal Australian people who have traditionally inhabited the area surrounding the junction of the Goulburn and Murray Rivers in present-day north-eastern Victoria and southern New South Wales ...

wore possum-skin cloaks, Noongars peoples generally use the pelt of the kangaroo. While in the southeast, there was much sewing involved, there was less involved in the south-west. The buka normally consists of the whole skin of two to three kangaroos sewn together, with the tail hanging at the bottom of the cloak. The skins were sewn together using kangaroo sinew or rushes. The cloak was worn over one shoulder and under the other. It was fastened at the neck using a small piece of bone or wood. Wearing the cloak in this way allowed for unrestricted movement of both arms, enabling daily activities to be carried out with ease. Cloaks were reversible: they were worn with the fur on the inside when it was particularly cold, and could be turned the other way when it was raining. The cloaks were also used as rugs to sleep on at night. Today many Aboriginal people have new cloaks and rugs made from kangaroo skins. They are used in performances or worn for warmth.

Ken Wyatt Kenneth George Wyatt (born 4 August 1952) is a former Australian politician who was a member of the House of Representatives from 2010 to 2022, representing the Division of Hasluck for the Liberal Party. He is the first Indigenous Australian el ...

, Australia's first Indigenous cabinet minister, wore a traditional buka when delivering his first speech to parliament in 2010.

References

{{Indigenous Australians History of Western Australia Robes and cloaks Noongar History of Oceanian clothing Australian inventions Australian Aboriginal clothing

See also

References