Kariera people facts for kids

The Karieri people (also known as Karimera, Gariera, or Karriara) are an Indigenous Australian group. They traditionally lived in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Their lands were around the coast and inland, near and to the east of Port Hedland.

Traditional Lands

The Karieri people lived on a large area of land, about 11,655 square kilometres (4,500 square miles). Their main areas were around the Peeawah, Yule, and Turner rivers. Their land stretched as far as Port Hedland.

To the west, their land reached the edge of the Hamersley tableland at the Yule River's source. It included the Mungaroon Range and the area north of Wodgina, near Yandeyarra. Their eastern border followed a line connecting McPhee Hill, Tabba Tabba Homestead, and the mouth of Petermarer Creek.

The Karieri people shared borders with other Indigenous groups. The Nyamal Pundju lived to their east. The Yindjibarndi and the Ngarluma lived to their west.

History of the Karieri People

When European settlers arrived, the Karieri people faced many challenges. Many became sick from new diseases and sadly passed away. By the early 1900s, their traditional way of life in Australia had almost disappeared.

At that time, about one hundred Karieri people lived on and around the sheep stations built on their land. These stations had taken over their traditional territories.

Connection to the Land

The Karieri people's lands stretched along the coast from east of the Sherlock River to Port Hedland. They also went inland for about 80 kilometres (50 miles) over the De Grey area and the Yule and Turner rivers.

Their traditional landscape was rich with Aboriginal rock art. Many examples have been found from Port Hedland into the inland areas. This land was part of a special traditional story and song called the 'Minyiburu' songline. This songline helped them remember the land and its features.

Family and Social Structure

The Karieri people had a complex social system. It helped them understand family connections and who could marry whom. This system was studied by early researchers like Radcliffe-Brown and Daisy Bates. Their findings were important for understanding Indigenous cultures.

The Karieri people lived in at least 19 groups, each with its own territory. Their social system had four main classes, which helped organize their community:

In this system, a Banaka male would marry a Burung female. Their children would then be classified as Palyeri. Palyeri men would marry Karimera women, and their children would become Banaka. This system created two main family groups, called patrilineal moieties: Banaka/Palyeri and Karimera/Burung.

Later, a linguist named Carl Georg von Brandenstein found that these class names were linked to animals. Pannaga and Purungu (Burung) were connected to the goanna. Karimera (Karimarra) and Palyeri (Palt'arri) were linked to the kangaroo. This showed that their social system was deeply connected to their understanding of the natural world.

Legacy and Importance

The studies of the Karieri people's social structure were very important for the field of anthropology. They helped shape how people understood kinship and social organization around the world.

Their traditional land divisions also helped lay the groundwork for later claims to native title. This is a legal recognition of Indigenous peoples' traditional rights to their land.

Other Names for the Karieri People

• Karimera
• Gariera
• Kaierra
• Kariera, Karriara, Karriarra
• Kyreara
• Minjiburu, Minjubururu, Minjirbururu. (This is a Kariara term for an ancient Port Hedland area.)
• Kudjunguru. (This means "coastal dwellers." It's a Nyamal name for the Kariera/Karimera and Ngarla people.)
• Paljarri