Gunggari people facts for kids
The Gunggari, also known as Kunggari, are an Aboriginal Australian people. They come from southern Queensland, Australia. It is important not to confuse them with the Kuungkari people, who are a different group.
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Gunggari Traditional Lands
The Gunggari people have traditional lands in southern Queensland. These lands cover about 21,200 square kilometers (8,200 square miles). Their country includes areas around the Upper Nebine and Mungallala creeks. It stretches from Bonna Vonna and Bollon north to Morven.
The Gunggari Language
The Gunggari people speak the Gunggari language. This language belongs to a group called the Maric language family. The Gunggari language is very similar to the languages of their neighbors, the Bidjara and Mandandanji peoples. Sometimes, it is even considered a dialect of these languages.
A Brief History of Contact
When new settlers from Europe arrived and started farms in the area, the lives of Aboriginal people changed. Some of the neighboring Mandandanji people moved eastward and became part of the Gunggari community.
Gunggari Social Structure
The Gunggari people traditionally organized themselves into different groups called clans. Each clan had special connections to certain animals or natural things, known as totems. Here are some of the Gunggari clan names and their totems:
- Urgilla clan: Their totem was the Ngorgu (Kangaroo).
- Anbeir clan: Their totem was the Bondun (Bandicoot).
- Wango clan: They had two totems: Tonga (opossum) and Bulbora (flying fox).
- Ubur clan: They also had two totems: Tambool (Brown snake) and Abboia (lizard).
Native Title Recognition
In 2012, the Gunggari people received a positive decision for their native title claim. This means the Australian legal system recognized their traditional rights to their land. The Gunggari Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (GNTAC) now manages these rights. The GNTAC is a special organization set up for this purpose. You can find more information about Gunggari land and culture on the GNTAC website.
Other Names for Gunggari
The Gunggari people have been known by several different names over time. These include:
- Congaro
- Coongurri
- Gungari, Gunggari, Goongarree
- Kogai (This is a name for their language)
- Kogurre
- Kungeri
- Kungri
- Ngaragari (This is a word from the Koamu language for the tongue spoken between Bollon and Nebine Creek)
- Unggari
- Unggri, Unghi
- Ungorri
