TURNUWA AMINTIYA KIRIJIPUNI : BLACK & WHITE: An exhibition from Snake Bay
Past exhibition
Gerry Mungatopi Australian, Tiwi, b. 1981
Tokwampini, the bird
natural earth pigment on wood
50 cm
840935
Tokwampini was the messenger in the pukumani mythology, it as he who told Purukaparli that his wife bilma hd committed adultery with her brother-in-law Taparra. This event lead to mortality...
Tokwampini was the messenger in the pukumani mythology, it as he who told Purukaparli that his wife bilma hd committed adultery with her brother-in-law Taparra. This event lead to mortality of the Tiwi people, the first death, the first funeral pukumani. Tokwampini became a jabiru (natice crane) but tokwampin is a common Tiwi name for bird. birds were humans long ago. When Purukuparli siad "I will have a big ceremony for my son" the birds heard. There were pelicans, owls and all sorts of birds. On eof the birds spoke to Purukuparli and said "If tou are having ceremony, we will give you feathers for your headband, armbands and goose featherball to decorate yourself so you won't be recognised by the spirit of the dead."