Description:
The Ayiswaerara are an Aboriginal people of the Cape York Peninsula in north-east Queensland, Australia. They are the traditional owners of the area around the town of Thursday Island. The Ayiswaerara language is a dialect of the Cape York languages. The Ayiswaerara are believed to have arrived in the area around the town of Thursday Island about 4,000 years ago. They are thought to have migrated from the Torres Strait Islands. The Ayiswaerara have a traditional culture based around the sea. They are skilled fishermen and hunters. They also practise a form of ceremonial dancing known as the 'jumping dance'. The Ayiswaerara are the traditional owners of the area around the town of Thursday Island. They are also the traditional custodians of the Thursday Island World Heritage Site.
