Mandjindja facts for kids

The Mandjindja (also called Mantjintjarra) are an Aboriginal Australian people. They live in Western Australia. They are part of a larger group known as the Western Desert cultural bloc. This means they share many traditions and ways of life with other groups in the Western Desert.

The Mandjindja People

Their Traditional Land

The Mandjindja people have lived on their traditional lands for a very long time. A researcher named Norman Tindale estimated their land covered about 21,000 square miles (54,000 square kilometers). This area is mostly sandy hills. It is located south of the Warburton Range. Their land stretched from a place called Papakula.

To the west, their land reached the Gillen and Throssell lakes. Their southern border was near Amy Rocks and the Saunders Range. To the east, their land was around Lengama. They also included a place called Wardadikanja in the southeast.

Their Language

The Mandjindja people speak the Mandjindja language. This language is part of the larger Western Desert language family.

Working for Land Rights

The Mandjindja and Ngalia peoples have worked to have their traditional land rights recognized. They did this through a process called a native title claim. This claim was made in the Federal Court of Australia.

What is Native Title?

Native title is a special legal right. It recognizes that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have traditional connections to their land. This connection comes from their laws and customs. When native title is recognized, it means their rights to their traditional lands are officially acknowledged.

In 1996, a claim for native title by the Mandjindja and Ngalia was not successful. However, in 2009, their claim moved closer to being recognized. It passed an important test under the Native Title Act. They claimed ownership of a large area. This area stretched from Lake Wells in the east to Lake Darlot and Lake Miranda in the west. It also included Cosmo Newberry and Leonora. The claim went up to Wiluna in the north. This application was later stopped in 2015.

Other Names for the Mandjindja

The Mandjindja people are also known by several other names, including:

• Mandjindjara
• Mandjindji
• Mangundjara
• Mandjindjiwongga
• Manjinjiwonga
• Mantjila
• Mangula
• Kalgonei
• Kalgoneidjara (a name used by the Ngaatjatjarra people for the Mandjindja and Wenamba)
• Nanggarangku (a name used by the Pitjantjatjara people for the Mandjindja and Ngalia, meaning 'hostile men')
• Mandshindshi