a result, many Indigenous Australians are Christian today. However Indigenous spirituality and Christian spirituality can peacefully coexist in Indigenous people's lives, particularly for the Meriam people. As quoted by an elder of Murray Island, "culture is very important…culture is identity" and "religion is very important…God taught spirit and wisdom". Meriam people both express their cultural identity through their dreamtime stories and rituals, while still valuing their religion. Christianity was also easily accepted by the Meriam people because before religion the Mer people would follow the rule of Malo, which has principles and structure similar to Christianity. Traditions A significant tradition of the Meriam people that still remains significant today despite the influence of European colonisation is Meriam people's death rites. In the death rituals and customs of Meriam people of the Murray Island, bright meteors play an important role which relate to spiritual elements of death rites. Maier, the name given to bright meteors is symbolic as it not only informs observers about the passing of a person in their community it also enables spirits of the dead to communicate with those alive. Maier therefore informs people about their life, social status and follows as a warning to follow traditional customs, while representing the dead or dying person's spirit. The brightness, colour and trajectory of the Maier further informs the observer about characteristics of the person and their life. The knowledge and meaning behind Maier's are passed down through oral tradition, such as storytelling and material culture as it is significant in serving as a means of culture Mabo case The Meriam people are most commonly known for their contribution to Native Title, which recognised their rights to their land and overturned the expanded doctrine of terra nullius as applicable to domestic law. The five Meriam people who contributed to this were Eddie Koiki Mabo, Reverend David Passi, Sam Passi, James Rice and Celuia Mapo Sale. The Mabo case began on 20 May 1982 primarily led by Eddie Mabo and the four other mentioned Meriam people. On 3 June 1992 terra nullius was overturned and native title was recognised by the High Court, recognising the Meriam people were entitled to all rights and use of the Murray Islands. The Murray Island returning to the traditional owners (Meriam people) is significant for Meriam people, as prior to European contact they had a strong sense of connection to their islands, seas and