Wangkangurru Explained

The Wangkangurru, also written Wongkanguru and Wangkanguru, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Simpson Desert area in the state of South Australia. They also refer to themselves as Nharla.

Country

Norman Tindale estimated their tribal sway as extending over 14000mi2, taking in the area from Stevenson Creek northwards to Mount Dare. To the east they were at Macumba Creek. The Wangkangurru were also present on the lower reaches of the Finke River. The southern section of the Arunta (Simpson) Desert also formed part of their territory, while to the southeast, their boundaries ran as far as Kallakoopah Creek and the Warburton River. Blood Creek and Atna Hill also lay on Wangkangurru lands.

Native title

The Wangkangurru now form an aggregate with the Yarluyandi, and are represented by the Wangkangurru Yarluyandi Aboriginal Corporation.^[1] Their native title over a large area of the Simpson Desert was recognised in 2014.^[2]

Language

See main article: Wangkangurru language.

The Wangkangurru language, like the majority of Aboriginal Australian languages, falls into the Pama-Nyungan classification.

The self-referential term Nharla,^[3] relating to their language subgroup, is the Arabana word for "man".^[4]

Notable people

• Mick McLean (Irinyili) b.1888-d.1977) was an outstanding "man of high degree" (minpari), whose erudition regarding the country, languages and culture of northern South Australia - the traditional song cycles and lore extending from the Simpson Desert and Dalhousie in the north to Port Augusta and Murnpeowie in the south, from the westernly Indulkana eastwards as far as Innamincka was highly prized by ethnographers such as Luise Hercus. Aside from English, he was fluent in five Aboriginal languages, a master of Wangkangurru, Arabana and the southern variety of Arrernte, as well as exhibiting a competency in both Diyari and Antakarinya.

Some words

• minparu (Man of high degree/clever man/medicine man)

Alternative names

• Wangkanguru (Yankuntjatjarra pronunciation)
• Wongkongaru, Wonkanguru, Wonkonguru
• Ongkongura
• Wongkaooroo, Wonkgongaru, Wonkongaru, Wonkaoora
• Wongonooroo, Wonkongnuru, Wonkagnurra, Wonkanooroo
• Unganoora
• Känguru (abbreviation)
• Gongaru
• Partama (Gugadja exonym)
• Wingkungira (Iliaura exonym)

Notes

Citations

Sources

• Web site: AIATSIS map of Indigenous Australia . 28 July 2023 . . .
• Book: Eylmann, Erhard . Die Eingeborenen der Kolonie Südaustralien . 1908 . D.Reimer . Berlin .
• Book: Gason, Samuel . The Dieyerie tribe of Australian Aborigines . 1879 . First published 1874 . Native Tribes of South Australia . Woods . J. D. . E. S. Wigg & Son . Adelaide . https://archive.org/details/nativetribessou00taplgoog . 253–307 .
• Anthropology of the Elder Exploring Expedition. 1871-1872 . Helms . Richard . . Adelaide . 1895 . 16 . 237–332 .
• Book: Savage life in Central Australia . Horne . G. A. . Aiston . G. . 1924 . . London .
• Book: Howitt, Alfred William . The native tribes of south-east Australia . 1904 . Alfred William Howitt . .
• Legends of the Dieri and Kindred Tribes of Central Australia . Howitt . Alfred William . Siebert . Otto . Alfred William Howitt . . Adelaide . January–June 1904 . 34 . 100–129 . 10.2307/2843089 . 2843089 .
• Divisions of the South Australian Aborigines . Mathews . R. H. . Robert Hamilton Mathews . . January 1900a . 39 . 161 . 78–91+93 . 983545 .
• Phallic Rites and Initiation Ceremonies of the South Australian Aborigines . Mathews . R. H. . Robert Hamilton Mathews . . October–December 1900b . 39 . 164 . 622–638 . 983778 .
• Book: McCaul, Kim . The making of a Simpson Desert clever man . 2016 . Language, Land and Song . Austin . Peter K. . Peter Austin (linguist) . Koch . Harold . Simpson . Jane . EL Publishing . London . https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315711012 . 344–357 .
• Book: Pauli, W. J. . Warburton River . 1886 . The Australian race: its origin, languages, customs, place of landing in Australia and the routes by which it spread itself over the continent . Curr . Edward Micklethwaite . Edward Micklethwaite Curr . J. Ferres . Melbourne . 2 . 18–21 . https://archive.org/download/cu31924026093827/cu31924026093827.pdf .
• Book: Northern Tribes of Central Australia . Spencer . Sir Baldwin . Gillen . Francis J. . Walter Baldwin Spencer . Francis James Gillen . 1904 . . PDF .
• Book: Strehlow, Carl . Die Aranda- und Loritja-stämme in Zentral-Australien . 1910 . Carl Strehlow . Städtisches Völker-Museum . Frankfurt am Main . 3 . de .
• Book: Tindale, Norman Barnett . Wongkanguru (SA) . 1974 . Norman Tindale . Aboriginal Tribes of Australia: Their Terrain, Environmental Controls, Distribution, Limits, and Proper Names . . http://archives.samuseum.sa.gov.au/tindaletribes/wongkanguru.htm . 978-0-708-10741-6 .
• The Aljawara and Their Territory . Yallop . C. L. . . 1969 . 39 . 3 . 187–197 . 10.1002/j.1834-4461.1969.tb01005.x . 40329775 .

External links

• Kuungkari, Bidjara, Inangai & Wangkangurru (Central West Region) community language journey digital story, at State Library of Queensland

Notes and References

1. Web site: Wangkangurru Yarluyandi Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC . PBC . 3 October 2014 . 20 November 2020.
2. Web site: National Native Title Register Details: SCD2014/005 - The Wangkangurru/Yarluyandi Native Title Claim . . 7 October 2010 . 20 November 2020.
3. Web site: Aboriginal Languages of South Australia . Adelaidia . Rob. Amery. Rob Amery . 20 November 2020.
4. Book: Hercus, Luise. Natural History of the North East Deserts. 149. 12: Aboriginal People. Luise Hercus. M. J. . Tyler. C. R. . Twidale. M.. Davies . C. B. . Wells . August 1990. Royal Society of South Australia. Occasional Publications of the Royal Society of South Australia, no. 6. 0-9596627-5-8 . 20 November 2020.