2021 $1 Star Dreaming The Shark In The Stars Beizam 1/2oz Silver Coloured Uncirculated Coin

To the Meriam people of Dauar Island in the eastern Torres Strait, traditional law and customs have been shaped by the movements of the stars. The seven brightest stars in the Western constellation Ursa Major form Beizam, meaning “shark” in the Meriam Mir language. Beizam lies across the northern sky at sunset in June during the Sager (dry season) when the south-easterly trade-winds blow. This tells the people it is time to plant banana, sugar cane, and yam. As months pass, Meriam people observe when Beizam dives into the sea. As water rushes through Beizam’s gills it falls as the rains of the Kuki (wet season), signalled by flashes of lightning and tearing north-westerly winds.