Tiwi calendar

Jamutakari – the wet season

December to February

Rain falling consistently.
Northwest wind blowing.

Signs it is Jamutakari time

During Jamutakari, pakitiringa (rain) falls consistently every day and the swamps, creeks and rivers are full. Wunijaka, the north-west wind blows and brings rain. There is much pumurali (lightning) and thunder with the rain.

Minor seasons that can occur in Jamutakari time

• Tawutawungari
• Pumwanyingari
• Kurukurari
• Mumpikari
• Wurringawunari
• Marrakatari

Plants and animals during Jamutakari

• Yankumwani (green plum)
• Pinyama (pink bush apple)
• Jaliwaki (bush potato)
• Wuninga (northern brushtail possum)
• Yirrikipayi (saltwater crocodile)
• Arlaminga (barramundi)
• Martapani (crested tern) eggs
• Kamuli (cocky apple)

Kumunupunari – the dry season

March to August

Fire and smoke are present.

Signs it is Kumunupunari time

When there is the dry season of fire and smoke.

Minor seasons that can occur in Kumunupunari time

• Wurrijingari
• Kimirrakinari
• Pumutingari
• Yirriwinari
• Mirniputari
• Kumwari
• Yartupwari

Plants and animals during Kumunupunari

• Kurlama (yam)
• Purnarrika (water lily)
• Wupwarna (bush pumpkin)
• Muranga (long yam)
• Jukwarringa (mud mussel)
• Kawukawuni (bush turkey)
• Yilinga (carpet python)
• Jarrakalaninga (turtles)

Tiyari – the hot and wet season

High humidity time: September to November

Hot weather.
High humidity.

Signs it is Tiyari time

When there is the hot season of high humidity.

Minor seasons that can occur in Tiyari time

• Yartupwari
• Pumutingari
• Pumwanyingari
• Kurukurari
• Milikitorinari

Plants and animals during Tiyari

• Minta (cycad)
• Malinki (peanut tree)
• Mayimampi (magpie geese)
• Mantuwunjini (dugong)
• Jurriyi (whistling duck)
• Yurwuli (mangrove worms)

The 13 minor seasons

The indicated months are a rough guide only to when these seasons may occur. Seasons can overlap.

Wurringawunari

Mid-March to mid-April

Can occur during Jamutakari.

Season of the knock-em-downs winds. This is the first part of the dry season when the first dry winds blow in from the southeast, flattening the tall grass and drying up surface water.

Kimirrakinari

Mid-May to July

Can occur during Kumunupunari. 

Season of fire when dry grass is burnt.

Pumutingari

Mid-June to September

Can occur during Kumunupunari and Tiyari. 

Season of the wind that flakes skin.

Yirriwinari and Mirniputari

Mid-June to July

Can occur during Kumunupunari.

Season of cold weather in the middle of the dry season, mid-June to the end of July, is signalled by the flowering of Wurritjinga (Eucalyptus confertiflora).

Kumwari

July

Can occur during Kumunupunari.

Season of fog, when temperatures are low and fog develops in the mornings.

Yartupwari

August to mid-October

Can occur during Kumunupunari and Tiyari.

Season of the dry creek bed, when waterholes and creek beds dry up.

Milikitorinari

Mid-September to October

Can occur during Tiyari.

Season of hot feet, when the hot ground burns the soles of feet. Food gathering is concentrated in the mangroves and jungle patches instead of the dry plains and woodlands.

Pumwanyingari

Mid-October to mid-December

Can occur during Jamutakari and Tiyari.

Season of thunder. Humidity increases and clouds develop every afternoon but there is little rain.

Kurukurari

November to mid-December

Can occur during Jamutakari and Tiyari.

Season of the mangrove worm. The worms are easy to find and are sweet and filling.

Mumpikari

December

Can occur during Jamutakari and Tiyari.

Season of muddy possum tracks. When the first rains fall the possums return to their trees from foraging on the ground at night and leave tell-tale muddy footprints on the trunk of the tree. This makes possum hunting easier.

Tawutawungari

February to March

Can occur during Jamutakari.

Season of the clap sticks. Kurlama (special yam) ceremonies are held now.

Wurrijingari

March to end of May

Can occur during Kumunupunari.

Season of the flowers. Many trees and shrubs flower and fruit.

Marrakatari

Mid-March to mid-April

Can occur during Jamutakari.

Season when tall grass flowers, short and indicates the end of the wet season.

Wurringawunari

Mid-March to mid-April

Can occur during Jamutakari.

Season of the knock-em-downs, short and indicates the end of the wet season.

Acknowledgement

CSIRO worked in collaboration with Traditional Owners from the Tiwi Islands, north of Darwin in the Northern Territory, and the Tiwi Lands Council to develop a calendar of Tiwi seasonal knowledge, and a calendar of plants and animals of Tiwi significance.

The development of the calendars came from a desire to document seasonal-specific knowledge of the Tiwi Islands and its biodiversity in an appealing format accessible to both students and the broader community, as well as a strong concern about the loss of knowledge as older people pass away.

Senior Tiwi Traditional Owner, Bernard Tipiloura said there has been a significant loss of knowledge over the past 10 to 15 years on the Tiwi Islands.

"We're worried that kids are not learning culture so we need to think of new ways to teach them and these calendars will make a huge difference. Our kids need to become strong Tiwi people and I want to show them the ways to do that", he said.

Mr Tipiloura said he felt very good about helping to create the Tiwi calendars.

"The more of these things we can do, the better it will be for Tiwi culture," he said. "We need to educate the children so they can take over from us when we're gone."

Navigate back up to the calendar overview with the links at the end of each season.

Reference

Tipiloura B, Wilson J, Johnson L, Tipungwuti J, Orsto E, Puruntatameri J and McKaige B. 2014. Tiwi Seasons, Tiwi Islands, Northern Territory, Australia. CSIRO Land and Water, Darwin, Northern Territory.

Copyright

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