Malgana people facts for kids
The Malgana are an Aboriginal Australian people. They live in Western Australia.
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The Malgana Language
The Malgana people have their own language, also called Malgana. It is part of the Kartu language family. Sadly, people stopped speaking Malgana by the mid-1900s. But in 2011, a special book was made. It helps us learn the language from old recordings.
Malgana Country
The Malgana people have lived on their traditional lands for a very long time. These lands cover about 18,000 square kilometres (7,000 square miles). Their country is on an inland plateau. It stretches from Hamelin Pool south of the Wooramel River.
Their eastern border was near the Talisker pastoral lease. Their southern border was close to Ajana and the Murchison River. The Nhanda people lived to their south. The Yingkarta people were their neighbours to the north.
In 2018, a large part of the Shark Bay area was officially recognised as Malgana traditional land. This area includes Dirk Hartog Island National Park and the town of Denham.
Malgana People and Customs
The Malgana people were a smaller group. They shared many customs with other nearby tribes. These included the Yinikutira, Baiyungu, Maia, and Yingkarda peoples.
The Malgana people were very clever at finding and keeping water. They would dig special water holes during the wet season. To save the water for dry times, they covered these holes with stones. This stopped the water from evaporating. It also kept animals from drinking it all.
History of Contact
European settlers started arriving in Malgana territory around 1874. At that time, about 200 Malgana people lived there. However, the Malgana might have met white people much earlier.
In 1712, a Dutch trading ship called the Zuytdorp was wrecked. This happened near the Zuytdorp Cliffs in Malgana country. The Malgana people have traditional stories about this shipwreck. These stories tell of survivors building houses from ship parts. They also traded food with the Malgana people. British settlers heard these stories more than a century later.
Native Title Rights
On December 4, 2018, the Malgana people won an important native title case. This decision recognised their rights to about 28,800 square kilometres (11,100 square miles) of land and waters. This area is part of the World Heritage Site around Shark Bay.
This decision came after 20 years of effort. The Malgana first applied for native title in 1998. The ruling gives them special rights. They can now occupy, hunt, and fish in this area. They also have rights to camp, build shelters, and travel freely through their traditional lands.
Some Malgana Words
- mama/mamadi = father
- nanga/ngangga = mother
- duthu = (wild?) dog
