Case Study 4: Drift log harvest in Kuki season on Masig (Torres Strait)

Case Study 4: Drift log harvest in Kuki season on Masig (Torres Strait)

During Kuki (pronounced Cook – ee), the north west monsoon season, Masig Islanders watch for floating trunks of Tuku (Nipa palm) and Bissi (Sago palm) that wash south from the Fly River in Papua New Guinea. Known as bethey in Kala Lagaw Ya and sap/sarp in Meriam Mir, these drift logs are more than just timber; they hold totemic significance and are seen as part of Country’s living system.

At sea, they carry barnacles and other marine invertebrates and provide resting places for seabirds. When they reach the shore, Islanders turn this seasonal gift into makarr (model canoes), warup (drums), and house timbers, instead of letting them rot ^{0 0} . This shows that nothing is wasted and reflects a broader Torres Strait cultural knowledge where caring for Country is a shared responsibility across Western, Central and Eastern Torres Strait communities.

Community / Place

Masig (Yorke Island) sits in the central Torres Strait, about 160 km north east of Thursday Island. The Masigalgal belong to the Kulkalgal People and speak the endangered dialect Kawalgaw Ya. Their low lying coral island relies on wind, tide and cloud signs to plan gardening, fishing and trade with neighbouring Papua New Guinea villages. ^{0 0}

Seasonal or sensory cues

Kuki runs roughly from December – April. Its arrival is felt as hot, humid air and north west gusts of wind, and seen when begai (towering storm clouds) gather on the Papua New Guinea horizon. Islanders also note Waumerr (frigate birds) flying low, another sign rough weather is near. ⁰ These conditions push driftwood from the Fly River delta onto Masig’s southern reef flat.

Caring action

When Tuku and Bissi logs appear on the shoreline, people organise a beach clean-up that is both practical and cultural:

• Re-use: Straight pieces become rafters or wall plates; smaller rounds are hollowed into warup drums or miniature makarr canoes for ceremony and tourism.

• Respect: Before cutting, Elders speak to the log, acknowledging its journey and totemic significance, asking permission. This shows how Torres Strait knowledge is applied in practice.

• Sustainability: Using drift trunks, spares living in Papua New Guinea palms, and avoids chopping scarce island timber, modelling Gud Pasin and Mina Pawa (“good ways and right behaviour”). ^{0 0}

Why it matters

The drift log harvest shows how Kulkalgal People read wind and ocean to turn flotsam into valued resources, reinforcing the Torres Strait principle: we care for Country, and Country cares for us. For students, it illustrates a help/heal action; beach debris is cleaned up, materials are repurposed, and cultural craft skills are kept alive.