Bardi people facts for kids
The Bardi people, also known as Baada or Baardi, are an Aboriginal Australian group. They live north of Broome in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. They are closely related to the Jawi people. Many groups, like the Bardi Jawi Niimidiman Aboriginal Corporation and the Bardi Jawi Rangers, refer to them as the Bardi Jawi group.
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Bardi Language
The Bardi language is a special language. It is part of the Nyulnyulan language family. People who speak Bardi can also understand Jawi. It is one of the most studied Nyulnyulan languages.
A priest and linguist named Father Hermann Nekes worked with Bardi speakers. He found them to be very smart with languages. He said they could even discuss grammar and pronunciation like scientists!
Some Bardi Words
Here are a few words from the Bardi language:
- aamba-nyarr oorany (married woman)
- aamba (man)
- aarli (fish, or sometimes 'meat')
- goorlil (turtle)
- noomoonjoo (seaweed)
- nyirroogoordoo minkal (how are you?)
- wangalang (young man)
Bardi Country
The Bardi people's traditional land is on the Cape Leveque peninsula. It stretches from Cape Borda east to Cygnet Bay. The Kooljaman resort at Cape Leveque is run by Bardi people.
Bardi Seasons
The Bardi people divide their year into six seasons, called lalin. The length of these seasons can change.
- mankal: This is the wet season, usually in January or early February. Food can be hard to find, but turtle eggs are available.
- ngaladany: This follows mankal, from late February to early March. It is a humid time with no wind.
- iralboo: This is the hot season in April and May. Tides are high, fruits are ripe, and fishing on the reef is good. Mosquitoes are common.
- barrgan: From May to August, cold, strong winds blow in. This is the best time to hunt odoor (dugong).
- jalalay: From September to October, westerly winds blow. Dugong hunting ends, and it's the best time to catch fat barnamb(oo).
- lalin: This season starts in November. Turtles (goorlil) mate and can be hunted. There is also plenty of wild bush apple. It is hot and humid, with tropical storms (janjal) towards the end.
Bardi Beliefs and Stories
A very important place for Bardi and Jawi beliefs is Ngamagun. This is where many key events of the world's creation happened. They call this creation time būar or the Dreaming.
Two of the oldest spirit beings are Galalaṇ and Minau.
- Galalaṇ was the first. He gave names to places in the Bardi language. He didn't like greed. He died when people got angry and speared him. He is now known as Lulul (sharkman) and can be seen in the dark parts of the Milky Way.
- Minau came after Galalaṇ. He brought changes that were sometimes seen as negative.
A third important figure is Djamar. He came from the sea and created special objects called galaguru (bullroarers). He also shared his blood, which became a special drink for Bardi men. After his death, Djamar went to the Coalsack Nebula, a dark spot near the Southern Cross in the sky.
Another figure, Djamba, brought new ceremonies and practices. Some Bardi people accepted these new ways, while others preferred the older customs taught by Galalaṇ.
Bardi people believe they are connected to the Dreaming through their rai (child-soul). This soul is a link to the ancient creation time.
Bardi Community and Daily Life
In the Dreaming, Galalaṇ divided people into two main groups: Djando (now jarndoo) and (Y)nar (now inar(a)).
- If you are jarndoo, your brothers, sisters, cousins, grandparents, and grandchildren are also jarndoo.
- If you are inar(a), your parents and children are inar(a).
Marriage is usually between people who are both jarndoo.
The Bardi people were skilled seafarers. They used rafts made from light mangrove logs, which they traded for with the Jawi people. They used these rafts to hunt at sea and visit nearby islands.
Bardi people have special rights to land based on four things:
- Owning land passed down from their father's side (booroo).
- Having access to their mother's family land (ningalmoo).
- Rights from the place linked to their birth totem (raya).
- Rights from long-term use and marriage between families.
Bardi Ceremonies
Ilma
The word "ilma" refers to special Bardi ceremonies and the objects used in them. These objects help teach stories, songs, and traditional laws. They are like symbols that tell stories about the Bardi lands and seas. Ilma ceremonies are performed for everyone to see.
The Australian National Maritime Museum has many ilma objects.
History of Contact
The Bardi people were likely the first Aboriginal Australians described by European explorers. William Dampier arrived on their coast in 1688. He stayed for a few months to repair his ship.
A linguist named Toby Metcalfe found that a word Dampier wrote down, "Gurry, gurry," is still recognizable in the Bardi language. It is ngaarri, which means a "feared and tricky" spirit. So, while Dampier called the Bardi people "miserable," the Bardi people likely saw him as a "miserable" evil spirit!
Christian missions were set up on the Dampier Peninsula in the late 1800s. One mission on Sunday Island was established in 1899. A missionary named Wilfrid Henry Douglas lived there and learned the Bardi language.
After the mission closed in 1962, Bardi people moved to Derby and Lombadina. Later, many moved back to One Arm Point, where about 400 people live today.
Native Title and Bardi Jawi Land Today
In 2005, the Bardi and Jawi people won a legal case. A court recognized their native title rights over parts of their traditional lands. This means they have special rights to use and manage these areas. They also have non-exclusive rights over some sea areas.
Many Bardi and Jawi people now live at One Arm Point (Ardyaloon), Djarindjin, and Lombadina.
The Bardi Jawi Niimidiman Aboriginal Corporation helps manage their land. They work with the Australian Government to create plans for looking after their country.
Bardi Jawi Marine Park
As of 2020, there is a plan for a large marine park in the Indian Ocean around the Dampier Peninsula. This park will include many islands. There will be three marine parks in total, and the Bardi Jawi Marine Park will be the most southern one. Each park will be managed together by the local traditional owner groups.
Notable Bardi People
- Stephen "Baamba" Albert (1950–2019) was a Bardi actor and singer. He was also the first chairman of the National Aboriginal Education Committee.
- Jimmy Chi (1948–2017) was a playwright with Bardi heritage from his mother's side.
- Roy Wiggan (1930–2015) was a Bardi elder. He was a guardian of traditional stories and songs. He made ilma objects, and his work has been shown in art galleries.
Other Names for Bardi
You might see the Bardi people's name spelled in different ways:
- Ba:d
- Baada, Barda, Bardi, Bad
- Baardi
- Bad
- Bard
The most common spellings are Bardi or Baardi.
Indigenous Rangers
The Bardi Jawi Rangers are a group of Indigenous rangers. They were started in 2006 and are based at Ardyaloon. The rangers help Bardi people keep their connection to their land and sea.
They look after 250 kilometers of coastline and 340 hectares of land. They manage populations of dugongs and turtles. They also record traditional knowledge and work with scientists. The group has eight full-time rangers and won an environment award in 2008.
In 2017, the rangers spotted a Nicobar pigeon on the Dampier Peninsula. This bird is usually found in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific. The rangers reported it as part of biosecurity efforts, and it was safely removed by officials.
