Kutjal facts for kids
The Kutjal people were an Indigenous Australian group. They lived in Queensland on the Cape York Peninsula. They are different from the Gudjal people.
Kutjal Lands and Home
The Kutjal people lived in a large area of land. This area was about 4,500 square miles (11,650 square kilometers). Their traditional lands were around the Upper Staaten River and the middle Einasleigh River. To the north, their land reached near the Lynd River. To the south, it went close to Lane Creek and just north of Georgetown. A researcher named Norman Tindale helped map out these traditional territories.
Kutjal Beliefs and Traditions
The Kutjal people had special beliefs about what happens after someone dies. They believed that the spirits of people who had passed away might try to come back. These spirits could bother the living if certain steps were not taken.
To prevent this, the Kutjal people had a unique custom. Before burial, they would remove the head of the deceased person. Then, they would burn the head until it became ashes.
The idea behind this was very clever. They believed that when a spirit tried to leave the grave, it would look for its head. Since the spirit would not have its head, it would be unable to see. Because it couldn't see the fire, it would get burned. This experience would scare the spirit so much that it would quickly return to the grave. After that, the spirit would not try to bother the living again. This information comes from Frederic Urquhart, who was a commissioner with the Australian native police in the Kutjal area.
Other Names for the Kutjal People
Over time, the Kutjal people were known by several different names. These include:
- Kuritja:l
- Kutabal
- Kuthabal
- Koochulburra
- Okuntjel
- Kwearriburra (This might have been one of the Kutjal family groups, according to Norman Tindale.)
