Mardidjali facts for kids
The Marditjali were a group of Indigenous Australian people. They were a small tribe, different from the Jaadwa people. Their traditional lands stretched from Victoria into South Australia.
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What's in a Name? The Marditjali People
The name "Marditjali" might not be what these people called themselves. It was likely a name given to them by other tribes to their west. This type of name is called an exonym. The name "Marditjali" comes from two words: marti (meaning "abrupt" or "hard to understand") and tjale (meaning "speech"). This suggests that other tribes found their language difficult to understand.
The Language of the Marditjali
We don't know the exact name the Marditjali people used for their own language. However, tribes to their west called it Wintjabarap. This name referred to the language spoken by the Wintjintanga group within the Marditjali.
Marditjali Country: Their Traditional Lands
The Marditjali people lived on a traditional land area of about 2,000 square miles (5,200 km2). This land stretched from Naracoorte in South Australia. It extended into the Victorian Wimmera region, including places like Goroke. Their lands also reached west of Mount Arapiles.
Southern and Northern Borders
To the south, their territory included Struan, Apsley, and Edenhope. The northern parts of their land were around Bangham, Kaniva, and Servicetown.
The Landscape of Marditjali Country
The Marditjali tribal areas had many swampy zones. These were surrounded by large red gum forests. The border with the Bungandidj (Buandik) people near Edenhope showed a clear change in trees. Red gums gave way to scrub gums. Their western border with the Meintangk on the Naracoorte Range was also defined by nature. Here, rising terraces of wooded lime sand dunes marked the edge.
Social Life: How They Lived Together
The Marditjali people were organized into different groups or "camps." One of these important groups was called the Witjintanga.
Other Names for the Marditjali
Over time, the Marditjali people were known by several different names. These names were often used by neighboring tribes.
- Worangarait (This name means "plain country" and was used by the Bunganditj people.)
- Worangarit
- Wragarait
- Wintjabarap (This was also a name for their language.)
- Lake Wallace tribe
- Keribial-barap
- Witjintanga
- Wichintunga
A Few Marditjali Words
Here are some words from the Marditjali language:
- bangg (man)
