Gija people facts for kids

The Gija people, also known as Gidja or Kija, are an Indigenous Australian group. They come from the East Kimberley area in Western Australia. This region is about 200 kilometers south of Kununurra. In the late 1800s, Gija people strongly resisted new settlers who brought cattle. Today, many Gija people live in places like Halls Creek and Warmun (also called Turkey Creek).

Gija Language

The Gija language is unique. It is not part of the large Pama-Nyungan language family, which includes most Aboriginal languages in Australia. Instead, Gija belongs to a smaller group called Jarrakan languages. About 100 to 200 people still speak Gija today.

Gija Traditional Lands

The Gija people's traditional country was very large. It covered about 32,000 square kilometers (12,500 square miles). Their lands included areas around the Salmond, Chamberlain, and Wilson rivers. The western edge of their territory reached the foothills of the Bluff Face Range.

They also lived and hunted near the upper Margaret River, above the Ramsay Range gorge. To the east, their lands stretched as far as Halls Creek and Alice Downs. Important Gija sites include Macphee Creek, Sugarloaf Hill, the Durack Range, Lissadell, and Turkey Creek Station. Fig Tree Pool and the headwaters of Stony River are also part of their traditional country.

A Difficult Past

The Gija people faced many challenges when settlers arrived. In 1924, a sad event occurred at Bedford Downs Station. According to Gija stories, some people from the station harmed Gija individuals. This event was a very difficult time for the Gija community.

Gija People Today

In 1979, explorers found rare pink and reddish diamonds in Gija country. These diamonds were found at Smoke Creek and Barramundi Gap. Barramundi Gap is a very important spiritual site for Gija women. Because of these discoveries, the Argyle diamond mine was built.

At first, not many local Indigenous people worked at the mine. In 2003, only 10% of the workers were local. But things changed, and now about a quarter of the mine's workers are Indigenous people from the area.

Qantas Boeing 737 with "Mendoowoorrji" paint scheme, inspired by Paddy Bedford's artwork "Medicine Pocket", which was inspired by the Gija region.

The Gija people are very dedicated to keeping their culture alive. They have strong programs to preserve their traditions. This includes collecting teaching materials and artwork. For example, the airline Qantas used artwork by Gija artist Paddy Bedford on one of its Boeing 737 planes.

Notable Gija People

• Paddy Bedford (1922-2007) was a famous Gija artist. His art is known around the world.
• Josie Farrer is an Australian politician. She has been a member of the Parliament of Western Australia since 2013. She represents the Kimberley area.
• Stacy Mader is the first Aboriginal Australian to earn a PhD in astronomy. This is a very important achievement in science.
• Lena Nyadbi is a Gija artist. Her artwork, which features barramundi fish scales, has been shown in Paris. One famous piece is on the roof of the Musee du Quai Branly. You can only see it from the Eiffel Tower! Her design tells a traditional story about the barramundi. The fish's scales represent the pink Argyle diamonds found on Gija land.