Mati Ke facts for kids
The Mati Ke people, also known as the Magatige, are an Aboriginal Australian group. Their traditional lands are found near Wadeye in the Northern Territory of Australia. Their language is very special but only a few people still speak it. There's a project trying to help keep their language alive.
Mati Ke Language
The Mati Ke language is also called Magati-Ge, Magadige, Marti Ke, or Magati Gair. It belongs to a group of languages called the Western Daly languages. It's quite similar to the Marringarr and Marrithiyel languages.
In the early 1980s, about 30 people spoke Mati Ke fluently. By the early 2000s, around 50 people knew some of it, often as a second or third language. At that time, only three people were thought to be truly fluent: Johnny Chula, Patrick Nudjulu, and his sister Agatha Perdjert. Patrick and Agatha lived close to each other near the Timor Sea. However, because of their cultural rules, a brother and sister were not allowed to speak directly to each other after they became adults. This meant they couldn't practice their language together, which made it even harder for it to be passed on.
Mati Ke History
The Mati Ke were one of several Aboriginal groups living south of Wadeye, between the Moyle and Fitzmaurice rivers. In the 1930s, a Catholic mission was started in Wadeye. Many Mati Ke people moved there. Over time, most of their descendants started speaking Murrinh-Patha instead of Mati Ke. Murrinh-Patha is spoken by about 2,500 people and is a common language used by many different groups in the area.
Mati Ke Social Life
The Mati Ke people had a special way of organizing their community using clans and totems. This system was studied by a Norwegian expert named Johannes Falkenberg in 1950.
Other Names for Mati Ke
The Mati Ke people have been known by several other names, including:
- Maritige
- Muringata
- Muringa (a name given by the Murinbata people)
- Muringe
- Berinken, Berinkin, Berringin
- Brinken, Brinkan
