Inspired by the words of Martin Luther King Jnr’s “I Have a Dream” speech, the young people and mentors dance to express their concerns and desires for … Bringing Mutton Bird to the Stage: The Creative Process made for charlotte who was and STILL is afraid of these birds. Mutton Bird is a contemporary dance representation of the mutton birds (shearwaters) that inhabit the coastal areas of Tasmania, and their significance as the totem to the clan to which Mathinna belonged. In the dance Mutton Bird, the bird represents the totem or spirit of the clan. The dancer representing the Father of Mathinna is seen briefly in the opening scene of the clip. song created by me, dance created by charlotte, performed by me, charlotte and ellen. A totem is a being, object, or symbol representing an animal or plant that serves as an emblem of a group of people, such as a family, clan, group, lineage, or tribe reminding them of their ancestry (or mythic past). Mutton-bird Egging on Mount Chappell Island (1893) Australia. Licensed commercial harvesting of short-tailed shearwater chicks on the coast and islands of Tasmania began in 1903, although it had long been a traditional form of subsistence harvesting by Tasmanian Aborigines and European settlers there. Mutton Bird is a contemporary dance representation of the mutton birds (shearwaters) that inhabit the coastal areas of Tasmania, and their significance as the totem to the clan to which Mathinna belonged.