Tiwi ecological knowledge: Bernard Tipoloura, John Wilson, Lynette Johnson, Jacinta Tipungwuti, Eunice Orsto, and Judy Puruntatameri. Puruntatameri, J. et al (2001) Tiwi Plants and Animals: Aboriginal fl ora and fauna knowledge from

Bathurst and Melville Islands, northern Australia. Parks and Wildlife Commission of the NT and Tiwi Land Council. Darwin

Images: Peter Eve, Jeremy Cresswell, Barbara McKaige , Keith McGuinness, Greg Miles, Nic Smith, Craig Nieminski, Tourism NT, Carla Hicks and Ian Morris

Compilation and Production: Barbara McKaige CSIRO (2014) Design and Layout: First Class in Graphic Design

© Copyright is owned by the Tiwi Land Council and CSIRO. This publication cannot be reproduced without consent. CSIRO Darwin: phone 08 8944 8400, Tiwi Land Council: phone 08 8970 9373

TIWI ISLAN

DS –

NO

RTH

ERN T

ERR

ITO

RY–

AU

ST

RA

LIA

Tiw

i Sea

sons Jamutakari The wet season Kum

unupunari The dry season of fi re and smoke

T

iyar

i

The

sea

son

of h

ot w

eath

er a

nd h

igh

hum

idity

JANUJU

Kurlama ceremonies are held now

. These ceremonies centre around kurlam

a (Dioscorea bulbifera), a yam

Tawutaw

ungari Season of the clap sticks

that is prepared, baked and eaten only at this time. Jankinaki (Brahm

iny Kite) is im

itated durin

g the

Kurlama ceremony, with dancers painting them

se

lves white and ochre w

ith feathers for decoration

.

end of J am

utakari.

mangroves tell us that a storm or cyclone is coming.

Marrakatari

The tall grasses M

arakati

Japarrika (Greater and

plumosu

m) p

roduce dark

near the shore or

brown

seed h

eads at the

roosting in the

(Sorghum

intrans an

d Sorghum

Lesser Frigatebirds)

The fi rst d

ry win

ds

south

-east and

tall grass, an

d dry u

p

blow in

from th

e

fl atten th

e

a lot of su

rface w

ater.

Thun

der s

torm

s bu

ild a

t this

time b

ut there

is lit

tle ra

in. It is hot and humid.

Ther

e ar

e of

ten

clou

dy sk

ies,

Rakungumpara

and even black clouds, Turniyuwa.

Cold weather in the middle of Kumunupari, the dry season, is signalled by the fl owering of Wurritjinga

(Corymbia confertifl ora).

Towards the end of Jam

utakari, th

e wet season

, many trees and shrubs fl ow

er and fruit.

Wu

rrijingari

Season of the fl owers

Season w

hen

tall grass fl owers

The wind later in Kumunupari, the dry season, causes your skin

to b

ecom

e dr

y an

d fl a

ky.

Pumutingari Season of the w

ind that fl

akes s

kin

Season of coldYirriwinari & Munuputari

Season of th

e kn

ock-e m-dow

ns

Wurringaw

unariW

urringawunari

Yart

upw

ari S

easo

n of

the

dry

cre

ek b

ed

Wat

erho

les

and

cree

k be

ds d

ry u

p.

The

grou

nd

is v

ery

hot

an

d th

e so

les

of y

our f

eet

beco

me

hot

Mili

kito

rin

ari S

easo

n of

hot

feet

When W

urrungilaka (Corymbia nesophlia)

wh

en y

ou w

alk.

Foo

d g

ath

erin

g ta

kes

plac

e in

the

man

grov

es

and

jun

gle

patc

hes

, in

stea

d of

th

e dr

y pl

ains

and

woo

dlan

ds.

Pum

wan

yingari

Season of thunder

Wor

ms a

re easy

to fi n

d and are sweet and fi lling.

Kuru

kura

ri Seaso

n of the mangrove worm

muddy footprints on the

trunk of the tree.

This makes possum

hunting easier.

Mumpikari Season

When the fi rst rains fall the

from foraging on the ground

at night and leave tell-tale possums return to their trees of muddy possum tracks

day and the swamps, creeks and rivers are full. Wunijaka, the north-west wind blows and brings rain. There is much lightning, Pumurali, and thunder with the rain.

During Jamutakari rain, Pakitiringa, falls every

Mum

a (Torres Strait Pigeons) leave the Tiw

i Islands at the end of Jam

atakari after feasting on

the red fru

it of Jora (Carpentaria acum

inata).

Kimirrakinari Season of fi re

Dry grass is burnt.

in th

e fr

esh

wat

er a

reas i

s w

orm

) has

egg

s and

swee

t and

edi

ble.

The

is n

ot e

aten

at t

his

tim

e of

the

year

.

salt

wat

er Y

urw

urli

Whe

n M

inta

(Cyc

as a

rmst

rongii)

top

it in

dica

tes

that

Wak

atapa

(che

eky

Man

grov

e w

orm)

(sw

eet M

angr

ove

has

oran

ge s

eeds

aro

und the

When Mapulinka (Em

erald

Dove) calls from the jungles

the Kurlama yam

s are fat

and ready to eat.

are full of Dalyngini

(honey). miniata) fl owers tell

us that the beehives

Timirraringa (Eucalyptus

When Alarpiningwani

seaso

n will b

egin soon.

(Com

mon Koel) c

alls the wet

Marakati (Spear grass) ti

me

of y

ear m

akin

g it

Wat

er h

oles

dry

up

at th

is

seed heads tell us ea

sier

to

hu

nt Ju

rriy

i

Kurumpuka

(Wh

istl

ing

Duc

k),

(crabs) have soft M

ayim

ampi

(M

agpi

e G

eese

) an

d Ti

rrin

tirr

i (B

urd

ekin

D

uck

).

shells and are

full of meat.

contortum) signal that

Martapani (Crested Tern)

eggs have been laid on

the islands and are

ready to be collected.

The fl owers of Jarrikarli (Acacia

latescens) and Wupunga

(Pseudopogonatherum

auriculiformis and Acacia

trees are fl owering Wuninga (Brushtail

Possums) are fattest as they eat

the fl owers and buds.

Kumwari Season of fogTemperatures are low and fogs develop in the mornings.

fl owers

tell u

s that

Kirl

uwar

ring

a

(Stingra

ys) are

fat a

nd re

ady

for

hunting a

nd ea

ting.

Punkaringa (M

elal

euca

spe

cies

)