Wanyjirra

Last updated

The Wandjira were an indigenous Australian people of the Northern Territory.

Contents

Language

Their Wanyjirra language, [1] now moribund, is one of the Ngumbin languages. [2] Tasaku Tsunoda made some early recordings of their speech, and these, together with fieldwork materials she gathered as a postgraduate student of Nick Evans, were the basis of a full descriptive published by Chikako Senge in 2015. [3] Many Wandkora also spoke the closely related Standard Eastern Gurindji and conversations between these groups would often involve code-switching. [4]

Country

Tindale's estimate of Wandjira lands has them occupying roughly 5,300 square miles (14,000 km2), stretching northwards from the Inverway Station to the margins of the plateau situated close to Mount Rose; Their western reaches ran as far as Kulungulan on the border shared with Western Australia. Eastwards they were present as far as approximately Mount Farquharson, while their southern extension ran into hard sandstone country. They were present also at Munbu on the upper Negri River. [5]

History of contact

The surviving remnants of the Wandjira now live mainly around Inverway Station, and also Birrindudu Station on the edge of the Tanami Desert. [5]

Alternative names

Some words

Notes

  1. Tindale cites the Berndts' 1946 paper as bearing on the Wandjira. In that review article, the Berndts only appear to name a group called the Wandshora, which they transcribe phonetically as Wandshәra. [6]

Citations

  1. McGregor 2013, p. 31.
  2. McGregor 2013, p. 44.
  3. Senge 2015.
  4. McConvell 1988, pp. 113ff..
  5. 1 2 3 4 Tindale 1974, p. 237.
  6. Berndt & Berndt 1946, pp. 72, n.17, 75, n.39.
  7. 1 2 Terry 1926, p. 194.

Sources

Related Research Articles

The Diyari, alternatively transcribed as Dieri, is an Indigenous Australian group of the South Australian desert originating in and around the delta of Cooper Creek to the east of Lake Eyre.

Ngardi, also spelt Ngarti or Ngardilj, is an Australian Aboriginal language that is considered moribund. It was previously thought to be an alternative name for the Bunara language, but these are now classified as separate languages. It was/is spoken by the Ngarti people of the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia.

The Anmatyerr, also spelt Anmatyerre, Anmatjera, Anmatjirra, Amatjere and other variations) are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Northern Territory, who speak one of the Upper Arrernte languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kunwinjku people</span> Australian Aboriginal people of West Arnhem Land

The Kunwinjku people are an Australian Aboriginal people, one of several groups within the Bininj people, who live around West Arnhem Land to the east of Darwin, Northern Territory. Kunwinjku people generally refer to themselves as "Bininj" in much the same way that Yolŋu people refer to themselves as "Yolŋu".

The Maraura or Marrawarra people are an Aboriginal group whose traditional lands are located in Far West New South Wales and South Australia, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butchulla</span>

The Butchulla, also written Butchella, Badjala, Badjula, Badjela, Bajellah, Badtjala and Budjilla are an Aboriginal Australian people of K'gari, Queensland, and a small area of the nearby mainland of southern Queensland.

The Anēwan, also written Anaiwan and Anaywan, are an Aboriginal Australian people whose traditional territory spans the Northern Tablelands in New South Wales. The Anēwan people are a subgroup of the Djangadi tribe.

The Brabiralung are an Indigenous Australian people, one of the five clans of Gippsland, in the state of Victoria, Australia, belonging to a wider regional grouping known as the Kurnai.

The Bodaruwitj, also rendered Bedaruwidj or Potaruwutj, and referred to in some early sources as the Tatiara, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the state of South Australia. David Horton believed they were the group his sources referred to as the Bindjali people. Austlang refers to Bindjali / Bodaruwitj as alternative names for the same language.

Keiadjara, also rendered Kiyajarra, were an Aboriginal Australian people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

The Miriwoong people, also written Miriwung and Miriuwung, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia.

The Yawijibaya, also written Jaudjibaia, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia. Along with the Unggarranggu people, they are the traditional owners of Buccaneer Archipelago, off Derby, together known as the Mayala group for native title purposes. Yawijibaya country includes Yawajaba Island and the surrounding Montgomery Reef.

The Gajirrawoong people, also written Gadjerong, Gajerrong and other variations, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Northern Territory, most of whom now live in north-eastern Western Australia.

The Bilinarra, also spelt Bilingara and Bilinara, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Northern Territory.

The Ngombal, also known as the Ngumbarl, are an Aboriginal Australian people of Western Australia.

The Antakirinja, otherwise spelt Antakarinya, and alternatively spoken of as the Ngonde, are an indigenous Australian people of South Australia.

The Wakara or Wakura were an indigenous Australian people of the state of Queensland.

The Kokomini (Gugumini) are reported to have been an indigenous Australian people of the state of Queensland, though some indications suggest the term may refer to a loose confederation of tribal groups.

The Gudanji, otherwise known as the Kotandji or Ngandji, are an indigenous Australian people of the Northern Territory.

The Yunggor were an Aboriginal Australian people of the Northern Territory.