Koa people facts for kids

The Koa (also called Guwa) are an Aboriginal people from Australia. They are the traditional owners of land in the state of Queensland. This land is around the upper part of the Diamantina River. It includes towns like Winton, Kynuna, Corfield, and Middleton.

What's in a Name?

Experts like Tasaku Tsunoda and Gavan Breen think the name Koa comes from the word guwa. This word might mean 'west'.

Koa Language and Communication

Walter Roth believed the Koa language was similar to the language of the Maiawali people. It seemed to connect the languages of the Wanamara and Maithakari peoples. Like many other groups in their area, the Koa used a detailed sign language. They could share many meanings using hand gestures.

Traditional Lands of the Koa

According to Norman Tindale, the Koa's traditional land covered about 26,000 square kilometres (10,000 square miles). The centre of their land was near the start of the Diamantina River. Their territory stretched north towards Kynuna. To the west, their land reached around Middleton Creek. To the east, it went as far as Winton and Sesbania. Their southern border was near a place called Cork.

History of European Contact

Not much is known about the Koa's early interactions with Europeans. Some stories from white settlers in the area say the Koa simply 'melted away'. This happened as Europeans began to settle on their traditional lands.

Native Title Rights

In 1998, a landholder named Noel Kennedy asked the Federal Court to declare his property, Castle Hill, free from native title. The Koa people's descendants challenged this the next year. They made their own claim for native title over the Castle Hill Pastoral Holding. They also claimed the Bladensburg National Park in the Shire of Winton.

In mid-2002, a Federal Court decided that the Koa's claim did not apply to Kennedy's land. This was because the Koa could not show they had continued their cultural practices in that area for the last 50 years.

However, in 2015, the Koa made another claim for their traditional lands. On October 6, 2021, the Federal Court of Australia officially recognized the Koa People. They were recognized as Native Title Holders of land and waters covering 31,400 square kilometres. This was a very important moment for the Koa community.

Other Names for the Koa

The Koa people have been known by several different names, including:

• Goa
• Goamulgo
• Coa
• Coah
• Guwa

Some Koa Words

Here are a few words from the Koa language:

• mikamo – wild dog or dingo
• kobba – father
• yanga – mother
• witto – whiteman (European person)
• kungoyi – a plant called purslane or pigweed
• tundooroola – a type of spear with a sharp, needle-like tip