Marra people facts for kids

The Marra people are an Aboriginal Australian group from the Northern Territory. They are one of the many First Nations peoples who have lived on this land for thousands of years.

Marra Language and Culture

The Marra language is a special part of their culture. Before Europeans arrived, many Aboriginal groups spoke several languages. The Marra language is part of the Marran language family, which also includes Warndarrang and Alawa.

Sadly, the Marra language is now "critically endangered." In 2015, only about four people could speak it fluently. However, the Marra language has helped shape Kriol, which is a language spoken by many Aboriginal people in the Roper River area.

Marra Traditional Lands

The traditional lands of the Marra people covered about 7,770 square kilometers (3,000 square miles). This area stretched from the Roper River to near the Hodgson River. Their land also went south to the Limmen Bight River and east to the coast, including Maria Island. To the north, their country reached Edward Island.

The Marra people shared borders with several other Aboriginal groups. These included the Yanyuwa to the east, the Alawa to the south, and the Mangarayi to the west. The Warndarrang people lived to their north, near the Roper River.

Marra Social Structure

The Marra people have a unique way of organizing their society. This system helps them understand family connections and who belongs to which group. It's based on what are called "patrilineal semi-moieties." This means that people belong to a group based on their father's side of the family.

Their society is divided into four main groups, or semi-moieties. Each of these groups has a special name and is linked to specific lands and important living things. This system helps the Marra people know their place in the community and their connection to the land.

Traditional Marra Diet

The Marra people lived off the land and sea, using the rich resources around them. They were mainly a "saltwater" people, meaning they lived near the coast and rivers. They also used the resources from the inland woodlands and freshwater systems.

Their diet included:

• Fish, crabs, and mussels from the water.
• Turtles and their eggs, like green, olive ridley, and flatback turtles.
• Dugongs, which are large sea mammals.
• Snakes, such as file snakes and pythons.
• Inland, they hunted emus and five different types of kangaroos.

During the dry seasons, when water levels dropped, they would gather plants. They harvested roots and seeds from waterlilies. They also dug for bush potatoes, yams, swamp arrowgrass roots, and water chestnuts. The fruits of the Buchanania obovata tree were also a valued food source.

Marra Dreaming Stories

In the Marra Dreaming (which they call jijan, or drimin in Kriol), there are many important creation stories. These stories explain how the world was made and how things came to be. They often feature special beings and animals.

Some of these important beings and animals in Marra Dreaming include:

• Mermaids (Gilyirring/gilyirring)
• Winds or whirlwinds (Walulu)
• The King Brown Snake (Bandiyan)
• The Goanna (Wardabirr)
• The Olive Python or Quiet Snake (Gurrujardbunggu)
• The Black-headed python (Bubunarra)
• The Taipan (Garrimarla)
• The Antelopine Wallaby (Barlin.gama)
• The Catfish (Ngurru)

These stories teach important lessons about their culture, land, and how to live.

History of Contact with Europeans

The Marra people may have had some contact with Asian traders before Europeans arrived. For example, their word for food or bread, gandirri, might come from the Maccassan word kanre, which means food. This suggests they might have traded with Macassar traders from Southeast Asia.

The first European to visit Maria Island in 1802 was Matthew Flinders. He saw signs that people lived there, like fires and footprints. Later, in 1845, Ludwig Leichhardt traveled through Marra coastal lands. He noted that even during the dry season, many Aboriginal people lived there. He was the first European seen by the Marra people.

A big change for the Marra began with the building of the Australian Overland Telegraph Line. Materials for the telegraph line were brought to a large depot near Roper Bar, where many Europeans gathered. As more Europeans moved into their territory, the Marra people faced many challenges. Their lands were taken over for cattle farming, such as the large Valley of Springs pastoral lease in 1884.

Around 1908, the Roper River Mission was set up. Some Marra people, along with other Aboriginal groups, moved there. However, many Marra people chose to stay on their traditional country.

Other Names for the Marra

The Marra people have also been known by other names, including:

• Mara
• Leelalwarra
• Walkonda (?)

Some Marra Words

• munanga: (white man, European)