Djaru people facts for kids
The Djaru people are an Aboriginal Australian people. They come from the southern Kimberley region of Western Australia.
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Djaru Language
The Djaru language is part of the Ngumbin language family. It is closely related to the Walmajarri language.
Traditional Lands
The Djaru people traditionally lived in a large area. Their land stretched along the Margaret River to the Mary River Junction. It included the start of Christmas Creek and went east to Cummins Range. Their territory also reached Sturt Creek Station, near the border with the Northern Territory.
To the north, their land was near Nicholson Station and the start of the Ord River. It also covered areas east of Alice Downs and went as far as Hall's Creek and the Margaret River gorge. This whole area was about 13,000 square miles (34,000 km2). Today, this region is often called the Kutjungka Region.
Trade and Tools
The Djaru people were known for trading. They admired the special spears made by their southern neighbours. These spears were strong, made from mulga hardwood and witjuti bush shrubs.
To get these spears, the Djaru would trade other valuable items. They exchanged stone knives and sharp spear blades called tjimbala. They also traded beautiful pearl shells. These shells came from the coast, collected by the Jawi, and traveled a long way inland through trade routes.
Other Names for the Djaru
Over time, the Djaru people have been known by several different names. Some of these names include:
- Charrau
- Deharu
- Djaro
- Jarroo, Jarrou, Jarrau
- Jaruo
- Jaruru
- Ka:biri (used for the Margaret River group)
- Karbery
- Kodjangana (used for northern Djaru)
- Njining, Njinin, Nyinin, Nining, Neening (also a name for their language)
- Ruby Creek tribe
Some Djaru Words
Here is an example of a word from the Djaru language:
- jaji (meaning kangaroo)
