Discovering the Wonders of Kaurna Seasons

Weather is obviously an integral part of the outdoors and Outdoor Education. Not only do we want our OUED students to be aware of weather, we also want them to be aware of the environment and its history. The traditional custodians of the Adelaide Plains are the Kaurna people, and the Kaurna people have different seasons than we recognise in the Western world. 

The four seasons (Warltati, Parnati, Kudlila and Wirltuti) directly relate to weather patterns that we may recognise as summer, autumn, winter and spring and determine the lifestyle choices the Kaurna people make during that season. Here is a short video with a little more information. I met with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education officers to learn a little more about the seasons, as well as how to pronounce the Kaurna language. Check out the video below for the correct pronunciation. Sidenote - I have noticed and reflected on how ahead New Zealand is with the inclusion of our indigenous language and customs - Aussie is still very much in the early stages and as a result the language is not yet embedded within day-to-day chat. So, others were learning with me too, not only the students.

Rather than having seasons linked to specific dates throughout the year, the times of the Kaurna seasons change. The general time of year is somewhat predictable, but the seasons actually start and end based off what the weather is doing and how the animals are acting and interacting with each other and the environment. For example, during Warltati the yabbies come out of the mud, during Parnati skin rugs and seaweed cloaks are made to prepare for the cold, the ducks and water birds are nesting during Kudlila and crustaceans are collected during Wirltuti. I really enjoyed teaching about these seasons and feedback from the students was that many thought it was interesting too.

Here is the task that I gave the students to encourage them to learn more and compare the Kaurna seasons to the Western world seasons. To extend this learning further, students researched another cultural perspective around seasons and weather around the world. Turns out there are heaps! Some cultures have 2 and others have 7+! 

To learn more about the Kaurna seasons, check out this detailed website.