Indigenous weather calendar shares knowledge of Maung people

02/06/2014

The Bureau of Meteorology has marked National Reconciliation Week by launching a new seasonal calendar, sharing the traditional knowledge of the Maung people of South Goulburn Island, located approximately 300 kilometres east of Darwin, off the north coast of the Northern Territory.

The Maung Seasonal Calendar is the tenth Seasonal Calendar to be hosted on the Bureau's website as part of its Indigenous Weather Knowledge project.

Bureau of Meteorology Director, Dr Rob Vertessy, said the incorporation of traditional weather knowledge into our understanding of weather and climate has effectively provided us with a history dating back thousands of years, complementing more than a hundred years of the Bureau's own climate records.

"Through the Indigenous Weather Knowledge project, the Bureau is working with Indigenous communities who have agreed to share their traditional knowledge passed down over many generations," said Dr Vertessy.

"Today we are thrilled to welcome the Maung people as the newest partners of the Indigenous Weather Knowledge project, sharing their valuable cultural knowledge about our weather and climate. This knowledge is an important complement to modern scientific methods.

"The website provides an opportunity for communities to showcase their knowledge and for other Australians to learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life and culture."

For Bureau staff, the opportunity to learn more about the Maung people came with the installation of a new high resolution Doppler radar in Warruwi, the main township on South Goulburn Island. The building of the radar in 2012-13 fostered a close relationship between the Bureau and the community, leading to the presentation of the seasonal calendar.

"The Maung seasonal calendar represents a precious and irreplaceable heritage, the value of which is being increasingly recognised and appreciated by all Australians," said Dr Vertessy.

"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander calendars recognise the complexity and diversity of weather over the Australian continent and are finely tuned to local conditions and natural events. The generosity of the Maung people in sharing this knowledge with all Australians is a sign of an enduring, respectful relationship that we share."

Nathan McIvor, Council Service Manager at West Arnhem Regional Council, has been a key advisor on the Indigenous Weather Knowledge project and said the community had welcomed the opportunity to be involved.

"This has gone a long way to giving self-esteem, self-determination and pride for the people of Warruwi," Mr McIvor said.

Warruwi Traditional Owner, Johnny Namayiwa, said, "I am very happy on behalf of my community that the calendar is on the internet and available to anyone in the world. I am very thankful to all the mob that worked on the calendar, and it's been great working with the Weather Bureau".

The Maung seasons can be long or short and are indicated by what is happening and changing around us rather than by dates on a calendar. This three-season calendar is extremely important to Maung people, as it is a guide to what nature is doing at every stage of the year, as well as understanding of and respect for the land in relation to plant and animal fertility cycles and land and animal preservation.

Go to the Maung Calendar for further information.