Kuringgai facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kuringgai people |
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| aka: Ku-ring-gai, Kuring-gai, and Guringai Kuringgai (AIATSIS), nd (SIL) |
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Sydney Basin bioregion
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| Hierarchy | |
| Language family: | Pama–Nyungan |
| Language branch: | Yuin–Kuric |
| Language group: | unknown |
| Group dialects: | unknown |
| Area | |
| Bioregion: | Sydney Basin |
| Location: | Sydney, Central Coast, and Newcastle, New South Wales |
Kuringgai (also spelled Ku-ring-gai, Kuring-gai, Guringai, Kuriggai) is a name used to describe certain Indigenous Australian groups. It can refer to a theory about Aboriginal peoples living between the Gamilaraay lands and the Sydney area.
It might also mean a historical group with its own language in that region. Today, it is used by people of Aboriginal background who identify as descendants of these original groups. They often call themselves Guringai.
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Where the Name Kuringgai Comes From
The name Kuringgai was first used by an expert named John Fraser in 1892. He was studying the language of the Awabakal people. Fraser believed that the Awabakal language was part of a larger language spoken by many tribes in New South Wales.
He created the name Kuriggai or Kuringgai to describe this larger language group. He thought this group lived along the central coast of New South Wales.
Fraser's Idea of the Kuringgai Tribe
Fraser believed the Kuringgai were a large tribe. He thought their hunting grounds stretched from the Macleay River in the north down to the Hawkesbury River. He also thought that tribes around Sydney were part of this big Kuringgai group.
Different Views on the Kuringgai Name
Later, in 1974, another expert named Norman Tindale disagreed with Fraser's ideas. Tindale thought Fraser's map and tribal names were often wrong. He believed Fraser had combined many different Aboriginal groups under one made-up name.
For example, Tindale said that the Awabakal were just one of many distinct tribes. He argued that Fraser's "Kuringgai" actually included many separate tribes. These included the Dharawal, Eora, Dharug, Darkinjung, Awabakal, Worimi, Wonnarua, Birrbay, and Ngambaa peoples.
However, some experts, like Arthur Capell, thought Kuringgai might have been a real historical language. They believed it was spoken north of Port Jackson, near Sydney.
More recent studies suggest that the word Kuringgai might refer to the "Hunter River-Lake Macquarie language," which is also known as Awabakal.
Important People Connected to Kuringgai
- Bungaree: He was a leader from a clan near Broken Bay. Governor Lachlan Macquarie chose him to be a "king" for the Aboriginal people in Sydney. Bungaree was the first person to be called an "Australian." His family today identifies as GuriNgai people. The name Kuringgai uses the words for man (Guri) and woman (Ngai) from the local language.
Kuringgai Today
Even though the name Kuringgai was created by John Fraser, it is still used today. You can find it in many place names and institutions in New South Wales.
- Electoral district of Ku-ring-gai
- Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital
- Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
- Ku-ring-gai High School
- Ku-ring-gai Council
- Mount Ku-ring-gai
- Kuring-gai College of Advanced Education (now part of the University of Technology, Sydney)
See also
In Spanish: Guringai para niños
