Description
‘Tagai’ is the Miriam name of the constellation of stars, which Zenadh Kes Islanders navigate by and use like a calender. Tagai is seen as a figure in this print, standing in his canoe with outstretched arms. Guided by the stars, he sights the Southern Cross with his spear.
The coming of Tagai tells us when the winds change and monsoon rains are about to come causing the turtles and dugongs to mate. It is easy to catch them at this time of year. The sighting of Tagai also tells us it is time to plant our gardens.
