Djanga facts for kids

Djanga, also spelled djanak or djăndga, is a word that means "white spirits." This was the first name given to Europeans by the Noongar people. The Noongar are an Aboriginal Australian group from the southwest part of Western Australia.

Why Europeans Were Called Djanga

The Noongar people had a special way of understanding the world. They tried to fit Europeans into their cultural beliefs. They noticed that European ships came from the west. This direction was important because it was where the sun set. It was also the direction of Kuranup, which they believed was the land where the spirits of people who had passed away went.

Spirits Who Forgot

The Noongar people also saw that Europeans did not understand Aboriginal languages or culture. This made the Noongar believe that these new people had forgotten who they were. They also seemed to have forgotten where they came from. This was a common idea for the spirits of people who had passed away.

Smells and Sickness

Other things made the Noongar believe Europeans were spirits. The smell of Europeans was often unpleasant to Aboriginal people. This was because the British settlers did not wash their clothes or bathe very often. These smells were thought to be like the smell of bodies.

Also, Indigenous people did not have protection against many diseases that Europeans carried. For example, measles outbreaks happened many times in the early 1930s. These outbreaks caused many Aboriginal people to become very sick. Europeans were offered smallpox vaccinations, but Aboriginal people were not included in these programs.

Stepping Back from Contact

Because of these reasons, Aboriginal people first welcomed the Europeans. They even traded with them. But after a while, they tried to avoid further contact. Other reasons for this included Europeans taking Aboriginal lands. Europeans also hunted many kangaroos and other Australian animals. They also treated Aboriginal people unfairly. This happened if Aboriginal people hunted European livestock or gathered traditional "bush tucker" from land claimed by Europeans.

From Djanga to Wetjala

The name Djanga was not used much for Europeans after the 1940s. Today, the Noongar and other Aboriginal groups in Western Australia use a different term. They call European settlers "Wetjala." This word comes from the English term "white fella."