Anēwan facts for kids

The Anēwan people, also known as Anaiwan or Anaywan, are an Aboriginal Australian group. Their traditional lands are in the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales. The Anēwan are part of the larger Djangadi tribe.

The Anēwan Language and Lands

The Anēwan language, also called Nganyaywana, is special. For a long time, people thought it was a "language isolate." This means it seemed different from other Australian languages.

However, in 1976, a linguist named Terry Crowley solved this puzzle. He found that the Anēwan language often dropped the first sound of words. Once he figured this out, he found over 100 similar words between Anēwan and other languages nearby.

One interesting thing about this "initial sound loss" is that it created many words that sounded the same but had different meanings. For example, the word for goanna and bull ant both became janda.

Traditional Anēwan Lands

The Anēwan people's traditional lands covered about 3,200 square miles (8,300 square kilometers). These lands stretched across the New England tableland. They went from Moree, Guyra, and Ben Lomond in the north, south to Uralla, Walcha, and the Moonbi Range.

To the northwest, their lands reached Tingha. They also included Bendemeer and Armidale. The Anēwan shared borders with several other Aboriginal groups:

• The Baanbay people were to their east.
• The Djangadi people were to the south-east.
• The Yugambal and Ngarabal people were to their north.
• The Gamilaraay people were to their west.

Anēwan Social Structure

The Anēwan people lived in different groups called clans. One of these clans was the Himberrong horde.

They had special names for their different family groups, which helped decide who could marry whom:

• Irong (male) and Arkan (female)
• Arpong (male) and Iran (female)
• Iyong (male) and Patjang (female)
• Imbong (male) and Irakena (female)

The Irong group would marry people from the Iyong group. The Arpong group would marry people from the Imbong group. This system helped keep their community strong and organized.

A Glimpse into Anēwan History

By 1903, when R. H. Mathews started writing down parts of the Anēwan language, many Anēwan people had moved from their original lands.

Some Anēwan families who stayed near Armidale lived in a place called "The Dump." Their homes were simple shelters made from materials like hessian bags, corrugated iron, and cardboard boxes. These homes did not have basic things like running water, proper toilets, or electricity.

In 1960, the living conditions were very difficult. The government then provided money to improve the area. They built new homes for the residents. Later, these homes were replaced with brick units in a settlement. The local Aboriginal community named this new settlement Narwan.

Some Anēwan Words

Here are a few words from the Anēwan language:

• gyaya (food)
• ilgaiwa (summer)
• jarrwanba (winter)
• mbunya (or mbanyja) (kangaroo)

Notable People

• Kyah Simon, an international soccer player.