I’d wanted to make a necklace like this for 15 years, after seeing an historic photograph of a Koorie woman wearing a kangaroo tooth necklace and a kangaroo tooth headband. I also went to see two 19th century kangaroo tooth necklaces held in the collections at Museum Victoria.

My family helped me collect enough teeth from kangaroos found dead along the roads around Mildura and Broken Hill. Only two teeth from each kangaroo can be used. Finally, in 2008, I had enough teeth to make two large necklaces, like this one, one small necklace and two headbands.

Creating the necklace was both men’s and women’s business with Len Tregonning and Rocky Tregonning helping me by preparing the kangaroo leather and the kangaroo tail sinew. The sinew had to be moistened by mouth to make it supple and elastic before it could be used to fasten the teeth to the leather strips. As it dries, it shrinks, and the wrapping becomes tight and secure. The leather and sinew were also soaked in ochre.

MAREE CLARKE Mutti Mutti/Yorta Yorta