Gunaikurnai people facts for kids

The Gunaikurnai (pronounced GUN-eye-kur-nye) people are an Aboriginal Australian nation from south-east Australia. They are the Traditional Custodians of a large area in Gippsland, Victoria. This includes much of the southern parts of the Victorian Alps.

The Gunaikurnai nation is made up of five main clans. In the 1800s, many Gunaikurnai people bravely resisted early European settlement. This led to many difficult and sad events. Today, there are about 3,000 Gunaikurnai people, and most of them live in Gippsland. The Gunaikurnai language is their traditional language, but very few people speak it fluently now.

Gunaikurnai Creation Story

The Gunaikurnai people have a special story about how they came to be. It tells of the first Kurnai man, named Borun, who was a pelican. He came from the north-west mountains, carrying his canoe on his head.

Borun crossed the Tribal River, where the town of Sale is now. He walked west to Tarra Warackel (Port Albert). As he walked, he kept hearing a tapping sound. When he reached the deep water, he put down his canoe and found a woman inside! She was Tuk, the musk duck. Borun was very happy to meet her. Tuk became his wife and the mother of all Gunaikurnai people.

Scientists have found signs of human life in this area dating back a very long time. For example, at Cloggs Cave near Buchan, evidence shows people lived there up to 17,000 years ago. At New Guinea Cave, also nearby, signs of human life are even older, over 20,000 years old.

Gunaikurnai Clans and Language

The Gunaikurnai nation has five main clans or tribes. Each clan traditionally spoke a slightly different version of the Gunaikurnai language. Sadly, most of these dialects are not widely spoken today.

When Europeans first arrived, they wrote down the names of the clans and their languages. Because Aboriginal languages were not written down before, there are often different spellings for the same names. This happened because different people heard and recorded the words in various ways. It's also possible that the Gunaikurnai people themselves had slightly different ways of saying things in different areas.

Here are the five main clans and their general locations:

Neighbouring Aboriginal Nations

The Gunaikurnai nation shared borders with other Aboriginal groups. To the west, the Kulin nation (including the Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung clans) lived near Melbourne. To the east, the Bidhawal people lived around Cann River and Mallacoota. To the north, in the Australian Alps, were clans like the Yaithmathang people.

Historical accounts suggest that the Gunaikurnai and Boonwurrung people sometimes had conflicts before Europeans arrived.

Gunaikurnai Resistance to European Settlement

The Gunaikurnai people strongly resisted the arrival of European settlers on their lands. This period was very difficult and led to many tragic events. It is hard to know the exact number of Gunaikurnai people who died during these conflicts or in massacres.

Europeans had more powerful weapons, which made the fighting very unfair. Records from letters and diaries show many sad incidents where Gunaikurnai people were killed. For example, there were reports of large groups of Gunaikurnai being killed in places like Nuntin, Butchers Creek, and Warrigal Creek in the 1840s. Some accounts also mention people being poisoned.

In 1846, a European settler named Henry Meyrick wrote about the terrible things happening. He said that Aboriginal people were hunted down and killed. He also mentioned that these events were kept secret because they were against the law. He believed that at least 500 Aboriginal people had been murdered.

In 1863, a mission called Rahahyuck was set up by Rev Friedrich Hagenauer near Lake Wellington. This mission was meant to house the Gunaikurnai people who had survived the conflicts. However, the mission tried to stop Gunaikurnai people from practicing their traditional culture. The mission closed in 1908, and the remaining residents moved to the Lake Tyers Mission.

Native Title Agreement

In 1997, the Gunaikurnai people began a native title claim. This happened after the important Mabo native title case in 1992, which recognized Aboriginal land rights.

On 22 October 2010, the Federal Court officially recognized the Gunaikurnai people as the traditional owners of much of Gippsland. This was a very important moment for the Gunaikurnai.

Following this, the Victorian Government made an agreement with the Gunaikurnai on the same day. This was the first agreement of its kind under a new law called the Traditional Owner Settlement Act (2010).

The agreement covers most of the traditional Gunaikurnai lands, including 200 meters offshore into the sea. It only affects Crown land (land owned by the government) and does not change any rights on private land.

Key parts of the agreement included:

• Ten national parks and reserves were given back to the Gunaikurnai people. These places are now managed together by the Gunaikurnai and the State government. Some of these places are Tarra-Bulga National Park, Mitchell River National Park, and The Lakes National Park.
• The Gunaikurnai people gained rights to use Crown land for traditional purposes, like hunting, fishing, camping, and gathering, following existing laws.
• The Gunaikurnai received A$12 million in funding. This money helps them manage their affairs, invest in their community, and strengthen their culture.

Places Named After the Gunaikurnai

• Kurnai College is a state school in the Latrobe Valley in Gippsland. It is named after the Kurnai people and has campuses in Morwell and Churchill.
• Krowathunkooloong Keeping Place is a museum in Bairnsdale that focuses on Aboriginal culture, history, and heritage. It is named after the Krauatungalung clan. The museum helps people learn about and be proud of the Gunaikurnai people's history in Gippsland. It opened in 1994.

Notable Gunaikurnai People

• John Gorrie (born 1950), an Aboriginal elder and community worker.
• Veronica 'Ronnie' Gorrie (born 1971/1972), a talented writer.
• Albert Mullet (1933-2014), a respected community leader and craftsman.
• Lidia Thorpe, a politician who was the first Aboriginal woman elected to the Parliament of Victoria.

See also

• Alfred William Howitt
• Gippsland massacres
• Gunaikurnai language
• Warrigal Creek
• White woman of Gippsland