Wik Elken Explained

The Wik Elken, also spelt Wik-Kalkan and also known as Wik-Ngatharr, are an Aboriginal Australian people, one of the Wik peoples of the Cape York Peninsula of the state of Queensland.

Language

The Wik-Kalkan language belonged to the Wik language group.

Country

The Wik-Kalkan lay north of the Wikepa, along the coast north of Cape Keerweer, and, according to Norman Tindale, once had tribal lands of approximately 300mi2 in extent.

People

The Wik-Kalkan has been described under the name of "Wikngatara" by Ursula McConnel in various papers. This term actually was a language name, rather than an ethnonym, and signified "my language". McConnel realised her error shortly before her death, and notified Tindale of the oversight.

Alternative names

Alternative names and spellings identified by Tindale include:

• Wik-ngatara (erroneous term)
• Wik Alkän
• Wikkalkin
• Wik-nätara
• Algan
• Ngadara

References

Sources

• Web site: AIATSIS map of Indigenous Australia . 28 July 2023 . . .
• Social Organization of the Tribes of Cape York Peninsula, North Queensland . McConnel . Ursula H. . Ursula McConnel . . 10 . 1 . 54–72 . September 1939 . 10.1002/j.1834-4461.1939.tb00256.x . 40327744 .
• Social Organization of the Tribes of Cape York Peninsula, North Queensland (Continued) . McConnel . Ursula H. . Ursula McConnel . . 10 . 4 . 434–455 . June 1940 . 10.1002/j.1834-4461.1940.tb00305.x . 40327867 .
• PhD thesis. Wik: Aboriginal society, territory and language at Cape Keerweer, Cape York Peninsula, Australia . Sutton . Peter . Peter Sutton (anthropologist) . 1979 . .
• Names and Naming in the Wik Mongkan . Thomson . D. F. . Donald Thomson . . 1946 . 76 . 2 . 157–168 . 2844514 .
• Book: Tindale, Norman Barnett . Wik-kalkan(QLD) . Norman Tindale . 1974 . Aboriginal Tribes of Australia: Their Terrain, Environmental Controls, Distribution, Limits, and Proper Names . . http://archives.samuseum.sa.gov.au/tindaletribes/wik-kalkan.htm . 978-0-708-10741-6 .