Seven Sisters

The constellation Pleiades is also known as the Seven Sisters and is prominent in the Pilbara sky. Mayarri – the playful spirits of the Seven Sisters who were taken from the earth up into the sky – come down and play pranks on teenagers while they are sleeping. You can tell when they’ve paid a visit when a young boy or girl wakes up with wild, knotted, bushy hair after the Mayarri have urinated on them. During summer in the Pilbara, the Mayarri rise early in the evening and shine high in the sky throughout the night. At this time young boys build a fire and light a firestick to wave at them, yelling at the sisters to leave them in peace. They might also wave the firestick and ask the Mayarri for warmer weather. In the colder months, the Mayarri don’t rise until just before dawn, staying at ground-level close to the water. When you see the Mayarri near water, you can wave a janyin (decorated wooden dancing stick) over the water and ask them to make the country cooler.