Mardudunera people facts for kids

The Martuthunira people are an Aboriginal group from the Pilbara region in Western Australia. They are also sometimes called Mardudunera.

Where Does the Name Come From?

The name 'Martuthunira' comes from the word Martuthuni. This word describes the lower parts of the Fortescue River. The 'ra' part of the name means 'from a place' or 'where someone comes from'. So, Martuthunira means 'people from the Martuthuni area'.

Some people have thought about the word 'martu'. In the Yindjibarndi language, 'martu' means 'place' or 'spot'. A researcher named von Brandenstein thought the name might mean 'flat-landers' or 'river-landers'.

Their Language

The Martuthunira people have their own special language, called the Martuthunira language. We know a lot about this language today.

A linguist (someone who studies languages) named Alan Dench wrote a long book about the Martuthunira language. He did this because one of the last speakers, Algy Paterson, asked him to help save the language. Algy's own grandmother used to speak it.

Their Traditional Lands

The Martuthunira people traditionally lived in the Pilbara region. Their lands stretched from the inland mountains to the coast. They lived north of the Fortescue River.

Early maps showed their traditional lands covering about 3,500 square miles (9,065 square kilometers). Later, another map suggested it was a bit smaller, around 2,100 square miles (5,439 square kilometers). This smaller area included some islands in the Dampier Archipelago that they would visit.

More recently, Alan Dench, who knows a lot about the Martuthunira, agrees with the first, larger estimate. He says their north-eastern border was marked by three hills: Mount Leopold, Moondle Hill, and Mount McLeod. Warluru Pool marked their eastern border.

Dench also says that some older maps were wrong about the islands. There is no proof that the Martuthunira lived on Barrow Island before Europeans arrived. The Martuthunira people today do not believe Barrow Island was part of their world.

First Meetings with Europeans

The first time the Martuthunira people likely met Europeans was on February 26, 1818. This happened during explorer Phillip Parker King's first trip on his ship, the HMS Mermaid. He was exploring the north-western coast of Australia.

King wrote about what happened:

• He saw three Aboriginal men in the water. They were paddling on logs of wood.
• King's ship went closer to them. The men became very scared. They shouted loudly.
• A small boat from King's ship was sent to catch one of the men.
• The man kept diving under the boat to get away. It took a few minutes to catch him. He was finally caught by his hair and pulled into the boat. He fought hard to escape.
• While this was happening, about 40 other Aboriginal people, mostly women and children, were on a nearby island. They seemed very sad and upset. The women cried loudly, rolled on the ground, and covered themselves with sand.

Once on King's ship, the captured man was given sugared water. He was a tall young man, about six feet (1.8 meters) tall. He had special marks on his chest and stomach. He was allowed to go back to his camp on his log. He was given gifts like a red cap, biscuits, and an axe. When he reached the beach, his friends were scared and held spears at him. They checked him over. More gifts were sent to them later that day.

Other Names for the Martuthunira

The Martuthunira people have been known by several other names over time. These include:

• Mardudjungara
• Mardudhunera, Mardudhunira, Mardudhoonera
• Mardutunira, Mardatunera
• Marduduna
• Mardathoni
• Mardatuna
• Maratunia
• Jawunmala (This is a name used by the Indjibandi people for them).