Wakaya people explained

The Wakaya are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Northern Territory.

Country

Norman Tindale's estimate of the Wakaya's territory assigns them some 15000mi2.

Language

The Wakaya language is now extinct.^[1]

Social economy

The Wakaya were one of the Australian peoples, the others being the Watjarri, Wanman, Pitjantjatjara, Ngadadjara and Alyawarre, who are known to have harvested purslane seeds, and threshed them within stone circles for the oily nutrients they provided.

Land

In 1980 the Wakaya people lodged a land claim along with the Alyawarre people for land somewhere near the remote outstation of Purrukwarra. As a result, they were handed back on 22 October 1992, while the Alyawarre were given, both of which were only small parts of the original claim.^[2]

Alternative names

• Wagaja, Waggaia
• Wagai, Waagai
• Wagaiau, Waagi
• Warkya
• Wogaia, Worgaia, Worgai, Workaia, Warkaia
• Workia, Workii, Woorkia
• Lee-wakya
• Akaja (Kaytetye exonym)
• Ukkia, Arkiya

Notes

Citations

Sources

• Book: Tindale, Norman Barnett . Wakaja (NT) . Norman Tindale . 1974 . Aboriginal Tribes of Australia: Their Terrain, Environmental Controls, Distribution, Limits, and Proper Names . . http://archives.samuseum.sa.gov.au/tindaletribes/wakaja.htm . 978-0-708-10741-6 .

Notes and References

1. Web site: C16: Wakaya . AIATSIS Collection (AUSTLANG) . 26 July 2019 . 22 August 2020.
2. Web site: From the days of whips and guns now we have our land back . Central Land Council, Australia . 22 October 1992 . 22 August 2020.