Tiwi people
The Tiwi people are a First Australian group indigenous to the Northern Territory of Australia, primarily residing on the Bathurst and Melville Islands, collectively known as the Tiwi Islands. This unique culture has developed in relative isolation, with the Tiwi language and traditions being distinct from other Australian Indigenous cultures. The Tiwi, whose name means "one people," have a population of about 2,000 and predominantly live in the largest community, Wurrumiyanga, on Bathurst Island. Historically, the arrival of European settlers in the 1700s had a repressive impact on Tiwi culture, which has roots tracing back thousands of years, including creation stories integral to their identity.
Ceremonial practices, such as the Pukumani mortuary ceremony, and vibrant artistic expressions, including body painting and intricate wood carvings, remain essential aspects of Tiwi life. Australian football has also become a significant cultural touchstone since its introduction by Catholic missionaries in the 1930s, with the Tiwi Islands Football League Grand Final now a major annual event. Today, while the Tiwi people continue to advocate for self-governance and cultural preservation, they also engage with modern practices and establish corporations to support their communities. Their rich heritage and ongoing cultural evolution highlight the importance of the Tiwi within the broader tapestry of Australian Indigenous cultures.
Tiwi people
The Tiwi people are an indigenous people from the Northern Territory of Australia. They live on the Bathurst and Melville Islands, sometimes called the Tiwi islands. These islands sit one hundred kilometers north of the Australian city of Darwin. Because the Tiwi Islands are separated from mainland Australia, Tiwi culture developed in isolation and is distinct from other indigenous, or Aborigine, Australian cultures. Tiwi means "one people," and the Tiwi speak one language. Many Tiwi speak English as their second language. The Tiwi are known for their art, which features bold geometric designs and colors. But, in the past, their unique culture was repressed with the arrival of European settlers to their land. While the Tiwi have lived in their communities for thousands of years, they only achieved Australian citizenship in 1967. The Tiwi number approximately 2,700 today and are spread out across both islands. They live in three major communities: 1,600 Tiwi live in the largest community, called Wurrumiyanga, on Bathurst Island; while on Melville Island, 450 Tiwis live in Pirlangimpi and 600 live in Milikapiti.
Brief History
The Tiwi people’s creation story recounts that they have lived on the Tiwi Islands for thousands of years. According to Tiwi legends, an old blind woman named Mudangkala created the Tiwi islands. She rose up from the sea cradling three infants. As she crawled in the dark, the sea and land filled the imprints of her body. She populated the islands with flora and fauna to create a beautiful home for her children, who would become the Tiwi.
In 1705, the first Dutch settlers arrived on Melville Island and made contact with the Tiwi. Commander Maarten van Delft arrived with three ships, and spent three months exploring the coasts of the islands. The writings about this meeting were the first European writings about their encounter with the Aborigines. As they landed, the Tiwi people grew fearful. They threw sticks at Commander van Delft’s men and a shot was fired. The Dutch withdrew, but mutual wariness between the groups had already developed. Soon, trade developed between the Dutch and the Tiwi. However, the Dutch did not colonize the land because they feared that they would be attacked.
In 1824, the British built their first settlement, called Fort Dundas, on Melville Island. It was abandoned five years later, perhaps because of hostilities between British settlers and the Tiwi. In 1911, Francis Xavier Gsell began a Roman Catholic Mission in present-day Wurrumiyanga. This led to the creation of Tiwi communities, which have lasted into the twenty-first century.
In 1941, the Tiwi islands were officially declared to be Aboriginal reserves, which means that they became protected areas. The Tiwi Land Council was created in 1978. This local governing body provided recognition for the unique culture and language of the Tiwi people. Its aim was further developed in 2001, when the Tiwi Islands Local Government began. This local government’s goal was to grant self-governance to Tiwi communities. The Tiwi Islands Shire Council, established in 2008, continues its fight for regional governance and the protection of Tiwi culture.
Overview
The geographical boundaries of the Bathurst and Melville islands—as well as the Tiwi people’s early action against European colonization—have allowed Tiwi culture to develop in relative isolation. Despite early European explorations of the Tiwi coastal regions, there was little contact between settlers and Tiwis until the twentieth century. This changed with the establishment of the Roman Catholic Mission in 1911.
The Tiwi are no longer an isolated or homogenous group. Over the past hundred years, Tiwis have married non-Tiwi Aborigines, Europeans, and Asian immigrants. This cultural modernization, however, has also been a source of tragedy for the Tiwis. In 1940, another Catholic mission was built on Melville Island. This mission was built with the purpose of housing "half-caste" Tiwi children, or Tiwi children of mixed descent, after they had been taken forcibly from their families. Part of a larger Australian policy, these forced removals lasted until 1969.
Tiwi culture remains rooted in their unique history. For many years, the Tiwi lived in small family groups. They survived as hunters and moved frequently from place to place. Hunting remains an important part of Tiwi culture. Tiwi men hunt possums, bandicoot, and wallaby, while women search for seafood at the shoreline.
The rich Tiwi culture also developed to include ceremonies and dances, called "yoi," that recount historic or significant events in their lives. Some dances are passed down from mothers to their children and are important relics of family history. For ceremonial dances, the Tiwi paint their bodies in vibrant natural colors. Natural ochre pigments are also used to dye fabric and decorate wooden carvings. These carvings adorn Pukumani poles, which are erected at Tiwi burial sites to release the spirit of the deceased from the realm of the living to the spirit world. The Pukumani, or mortuary, ceremony is the most important ceremony in Tiwi culture and includes dances performed by the deceased person’s loved ones.
In addition to these ancient traditions, the Tiwi are enthusiastic fans of Australian football. It is said that Catholic missionaries introduced Australian football to the Tiwi people in the 1930s. Since 1990, the Tiwi Islands Football League Grand Final, held every year in March, is the biggest event of the year on the islands. On average, nine hundred Tiwis participate in the Grand Final, which, at 35 percent of the total Tiwi population, is the highest football participation rate of any community in Australia.
The Tiwi people have a wealth of traditions that have persisted through modern times due to their relative isolation from the rest of Australia. In the twenty-first century, however, the Tiwi have incorporated new ways of life into their already rich culture. While the Tiwis continue to fight for more autonomy in governance, their heritage and traditions form an integral part of the diverse cultures of Australia.
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