Ildawongga facts for kids
The Ildawongga are an Aboriginal Australian people. They come from the Pilbara region in Western Australia.
Where the Ildawongga Lived
The Ildawongga people lived in a part of Western Australia. This area was west of Lake Mackay, close to the border with the Northern Territory.
A researcher named Norman Tindale studied Aboriginal lands. He thought the Ildawongga's northern border was near the Stansmore Range. This area included a special place called Manggai. According to the Mandjildjara people, Ildawongga land started several days' walk east of Well 37 on the Canning Stock Route.
Tindale's map shows the Ildawongga's neighbors. To the north were the Gugadja. The Ngarti were to the northeast. The Pintubi lived to the east. The Wenamba and Keiadjara were to the south. The Mandjildjara were to the west. However, another map from AIATSIS (Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies) shows the Ildawongga's land as part of the Pintubi territory.
First Meetings with Outsiders
People first heard about a group called the Ilda in 1953. This information came from a Pintubi man. Other people also mentioned them in the years that followed.
Finally, in 1964, people met the Ildawongga at Jupiter Creek. Norman Tindale believed they might have been "the last of the free-living aborigines of Australia to come into Western contact." This means they were possibly the last Aboriginal group to meet white people for the first time. Later, other groups were found who had not met white people, but they belonged to tribes that were already known, like the Ngadadjara.
In April 1964, the Ildawongga people went to Papunya to get help and support.
Other Names for the Ildawongga
The Ildawongga people were also known by several other names:
