Bindi Cole: Sistagirls

A series of highly stylised portraits of Tiwi Island’s transgender community.

The term ‘Sistagirl’ is used to describe a transgender person in Tiwi Island culture. Traditionally, the term was ‘Yimpininni’. The very existence of these terms, provide some indication of the inclusive attitudes historically extended towards Aboriginal sexual minorities.

Colonisation not only wiped out many indigenous people, it also had an impact on Aboriginal culture and understanding of sexual and gender expression. As Catholicism took hold and many traditions were lost, this term became a thing of the past. Yimpininni were once held in high regard as the nurturers within the family unit and tribe much like the Faafafine from Samoa. As the usage of the term vanished, tribes’ attitudes toward queer indigenous people began to resemble that of the western world and religious right.

Within a population of around 2500, there are approximately 50 Sistagirls living on the Tiwi Islands. In 2009, award-winning artist, Bindi Cole, capture these Sistagirls and the spirit of their community.