Tiwi Islands
The Tiwi Islands are located in Australia in the Northern Territory 80 km north of Darwin in the Timor Sea. They consist of Melville Island, Bathurst Island and about five much smaller upstream side islands, and are together approximately 8320 km ².
History
In 1824, the British had built for a short time a settlement that they gave up soon. 1900 built hunter on Melville Iceland a warehouse, from where they hunted the buffalo, left by the British. A sustained contact with other cultures developed in 1911, when a Catholic mission was established in Nguiu on Bathurst Iceland.
The islands in 1912 advertised as Aboriginal Reserve. In 1980 the land was handed over to the Tiwi Aboriginal Land Trust. However, the local Tiwi Islands government established only on 12 July 2001, when the previous three individual administrations merged ( Nguiu on Bathurst Island, Pirlangimpi and Milikapiti on Melville Island ) and a jointly coordinated government formed.
Geography
The islands are separated by the Apsley Strait, which connects Saint Asaph Bay Shoal Bay in the north and in the south, and is between 550 meters and 5 km wide and 62 km long. The Shoal Bay is upstream in southern Buchanan Iceland, with an area of 3 km ². At the southern tip of Melville Iceland, only separated by a narrow strait, lies Irrititu Iceland, around 2 km ². About 600 meters west of Bathurst Iceland is Iceland Clift, less than one hectare in size. One kilometer north-west of Melville Iceland is Karslake Iceland, with about 0.5 km ². Between the two large islands of Bathurst and Melville Harris is Iceland, with an area of around 10 hectares.
The archipelago is inhabited by the Tiwi. Although they are also among the indigenous Australians, in both their culture and their language from the Aboriginal Arnhem Land on the mainland is different. Currently, about 2,500 islanders living on both islands, where in 1996 93.8 % of the population were Aboriginal. Most speak Tiwi as their first language and English as a second language.
Arts and Culture
The art and culture of the islands, has avoided the significant influence of other nations, due to the insularity and the treacherous Strait. Therefore, a series of unique art forms, which is described as the art of isolation created. The Dreamtime of Eddies is expressed mainly in two ceremonies, the Kulama initiation and the Pukumani - funeral ritual.
The images that paint the Eddies, are colorful and, since the interest in bark painting is great, next canvas painted on bark.
The sculptures that make Eddies are famous since the 1930s. These are sculptures of birds and animals. Recently provides Enraeld Djulabinyanna ago human sculptures that focus on the Dreamtime story of the Tiwi tribe of Purukuparli and Bima.
Football
Well known are the Tiwi Islands in addition to their cultural offer, especially because of Australian Football. The Islands Football League Grand Final ( Tiwi Islands Football League Finals ) Tiwi is an event that takes place every year in March and attracts up to 3,000 visitors. The league has about 900 participants from the communities of the two islands and has 35 %, the highest participation rate of a place in Australia.
Famous football player of the Tiwi Islands are Maurice Rioli Dean Rioli and David Kantilla. Kantilla was the first Aborigine, who played in one of the top football leagues in Australia.
Gallery
Native art of the Tiwi Islands
Australian Football game on the Tiwi Islands