Tiwi people

The Tiwi people are a First Australian people from the Northern Territory of Australia. They live on the Bathurst and Melville Islands, sometimes called the Tiwi Islands. These islands sit 100 kilometers (62 miles) 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 Australian cultures. Tiwi means "one people," and the Tiwi speak one language. Many Tiwi people are bilingual, speaking both the Tiwi language and English. The Tiwi are known for their art, which features bold geometric designs and colors. However, their unique culture was repressed with the arrival of European settlers to their land in the 1700s. While the Tiwi have lived in their communities for thousands of years, they only achieved Australian citizenship in 1967.

By the early 2020s, the Tiwi population numbers about 2,300 to 2,400 people, residing mainly on Bathurst and Melville Islands in the Northern Territory of Australia. The largest settlement is Wurrumiyanga on Bathurst Island, home to roughly two-thirds of the Tiwi population. On Melville Island, most residents live in the communities of Pirlangimpi and Milikapiti, each with several hundred inhabitants.

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 Tiwi people. As the Dutch 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 remained. 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 Aboriginal reserves, which means 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 and the Tiwi people’s early action against European colonization 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. In the twentieth century, Tiwis began marrying non-Tiwi peoples, Europeans, and Asian immigrants. This cultural modernization, however, has also been a source of tragedy for the Tiwis. In 1940, a Catholic mission was built on Melville Island with the purpose of housing Tiwi children, or Tiwi children of mixed-race 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. Held in Wurrumiyanga, the event attracts around 3,000 participants and spectators each year.

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. To support their communities, several landowning groups of Tiwi have formed corporations on the islands. In 2015, the Yimpinari Aboriginal Corporation was established, and in 2017, the Munupi Aboriginal Corporation. Also in 2017, the Vernon Islands were transferred to the Tiwi Aboriginal Land Trust from Australia’s Northern Land Council, which celebrated its fortieth year in service in 2018. 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.

In October 2024, the Tiwi Fire and Carbon Project, operated through Tiwi Resources Pty Ltd, officially shifted from relying on external funding to being a fully independent, Indigenous-owned carbon enterprise. This transition was seen as a significant move toward economic self-determination. The project covers about 8,000 square kilometers (4,971 square miles) of Indigenous Australian freehold land on Bathurst and Melville Islands. The project uses traditional burning practices to reduce destructive late-season wildfires and, in turn, generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) under the federal Emissions Reduction Fund. These credits can be sold to governments or private companies seeking to offset emissions, creating a steady revenue stream controlled by Tiwi landowners themselves. The project not only provides income but also sustains cultural fire knowledge, supports ranger employment, and strengthens land management capacity. Its shift to full independence is widely regarded as a milestone in Tiwi economic self-determination.

In 2025, the Tiwi Cultural Festival received AUD 150,000 in federal funding—synchronized with the Tiwi Islands Football League Grand Final. The combined event was promoted as a nationally significant weekend to boost cultural pride, economic opportunities, and public exposure to Tiwi art, music, and traditions.

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