Tami (people)

The Tami or Tami people are New Guinea natives who mainly live on the Tami Islands , a small group of islands about 12 km southeast of Finschhafen .

Society and culture

The carvings of the Tami people are unique in Papua New Guinea , and represent a modest source of income. The people on the islands make a living mainly from fishing and horticulture on modest soils. There is a connection to the mainland via motor boats. Some of the traditional dugout canoe - canoes , can sum up the several dozen people who are still, however, motorized, in use. The Tami are predominantly Lutherans .

Tami language

The Tami language is spoken by around 1,800 people (1995 SIL ) on the Tami Islands and on the coast of the New Guinea mainland south of Finschhafen. It belongs to the Austronesian languages , subgroup Malayo-Polynesian languages . Dialects are Wanam and Taemi. Older Tami people also speak the church language Yabem . Tok Pisin serves as the lingua franca outside of one's own language group .