Barungguan facts for kids
The Barungguan are an Aboriginal Australian people from the Cape York Peninsula in Northern Queensland. They are connected to three languages: Ganganda, Umpithamu, and Morrobolam.
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Who Were the Barungguan?
A researcher named Donald Thomson studied the Barungguan people. He called them the Yintjinga and grouped them with other peoples he called the Kawadji.
Where Did They Live?
In 1974, another researcher, Norman Tindale, wrote that the Barungguan people lived on about 700 square miles (1,813 square kilometers) of land. This land was on the western side of Princess Charlotte Bay. It stretched north towards Cape Sidmouth. They usually stayed south of the Rocky River.
How Were They Organised?
The Barungguan people lived in groups called clans. We know the names of at least two of these clans:
- Umbuigamu
- Umbindhamu
Like their neighbours, the Walmbaria people, the Barungguan had a special custom. For important cultural reasons, they would gently remove one of the upper front teeth (either the right or left incisor) from both boys and girls.
Other Names for Barungguan
Sometimes, the Barungguan people were known by other names. These names include:
- Baka (used by the Kaantju people)
- Banjigam (used by the Bakanambia people)
- Barunguan (a spelling mistake)
- Ganganda
- Jintjingga (the native name for a place near the Stewart River)
- Njindingga
- Umbindhamu
- Umbuigamu
- Yintjingga
