The Booka (also spelt Bwookah or Bwooka) is a kangaroo skin cloak. A symbol of identity, the Booka carries the story of its wearer. A story written over time. A story that ends when we end.

The Booka was a significant part of Bibbulmun culture. A culture rich in story. A culture that survives today. It represents a reclaiming of cultural practices criminalized and banned with an end goal to “breed out the black” (A.O. Neville, Protector of Aborigines, WA, 1937).

The artist, Lea Taylor, says, “Our Booka was taken from us and put in museums around the world. Today, I give you the Booka, to reassure you that our culture is alive and strong. Today, I give you the Booka. I feel the embrace and protection of a thousand ancestors past. I feel ten feet tall as tears roll from my eyes and down my face as I wear my Booka because I have the strength of my ancestors”.

This piece won the Popular Choice award at the City of Joondaup 2022 Invitation Art Prize exhibition.