Mutitjulu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids MutitjuluNorthern Territory |
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 Mutitjulu
Location in Northern Territory
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| Population | 296 (2011 census) | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 0872 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 523 m (1,716 ft) | ||||||||
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| LGA(s) | MacDonnell Shire | ||||||||
| Territory electorate(s) | Namatjira | ||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Lingiari | ||||||||
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Mutitjulu is an Aboriginal Australian community in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located at the eastern end of Uluṟu, also known as Ayers Rock. The community is named after a special knee-shaped waterhole at the base of Uluru. It is found inside the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park. The people of Mutitjulu are the traditional owners of this land. They work with Parks Australia to manage the park. In 2011, Mutitjulu had a population of 296 people. Most of them (about 71%) were Aboriginal.
Most of the Anangu (which means "people") in Mutitjulu are Pitjantjatjara. There are also Yankunytjatjara, Luritja, and Ngaanyatjarra people. The main languages spoken are Pitjantjatjara, Luritja, and Yankunytjatjara. The Arrernte people also have a long-standing connection to Uluru.
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Visiting Mutitjulu and Uluru
The Mutitjulu community offers special guided tours for visitors to Uluṟu. These tours are called Anangu Tours. The word Anangu comes from the Pitjantjatjara language and means "people." On these tours, local guides show tourists important sites. They also share Tjukurpa, which are the traditional stories of Uluru and its people.
The Anangu people control who can enter their community. Visitors need permission to go into Mutitjulu. The community has the right to stop visitors from entering their land. The people of Mutitjulu are the traditional owners of Uluru. They have an art exhibition there where they sell paintings and other handmade items.
Art and Culture in Mutitjulu
Maruku Arts & Crafts is a large and successful business. It is owned and run by Aboriginal Australian people, specifically the Anangu from the Western and Central Deserts of Australia. Maruku has been operating since around 1990. It has a main warehouse in Mutitjulu. You can also find their art at a gallery in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Cultural Centre. They also have a market stall in Yulara town square.
The artwork mainly includes paintings and woodcarvings. About 900 artists are part of this group. This provides an important way for people living in remote communities across central Australia to earn money. Maruku's goal is to "keep culture strong and alive for future generations of artists." They also want to help others understand their culture in a real way.
In 2017, artists from Maruku created the artwork around the signatures on the Uluru Statement from the Heart. This work was led by Rene Kulitja. Artists Christine Brumby, Charmaine Kulitja, and Happy Reid helped paint it. This artwork was later shown with lights at the Parrtjima light festival in Alice Springs in 2023. Maruku is one of ten Indigenous-owned businesses that form the APY Art Centre Collective, which started in 2013.
Mutitjulu Band: Music and Performances
The Mutitjulu Band is a music group led by Kimberley Taylor and David Honeymoon. They have performed at different places. These include the Araluen Arts Centre in Alice Springs and a NAIDOC event in Mutitjulu. They have also played at the Voyagers resort in Yulara. The band later recorded songs at the ABC recording studios in Sydney. Their music has become quite popular.
Education for Young People
The Mutitjulu community has a school for students from Year 1 to Year 7. There is also a high school called Nyangatjatjara College. The cultural traditions in Mutitjulu mean that once children reach their teenage years, they are taught separately by gender. Nyangatjatjara College is a boarding school. It hosts young men and young women in separate semesters.
Languages Spoken in Mutitjulu
The main languages spoken in Mutitjulu are Pitjantjatjara, Luritja, and Yankunytjatjara. It is not hard for people to communicate, as most residents speak several languages. These Aboriginal languages are closely related. They are all different forms of the Western Desert Language and can be understood by speakers of the other languages.
People in Mutitjulu work to keep their traditional customs and languages alive. Most residents also speak some English. The level of English reading and writing skills among Mutitjulu residents is higher than in many other Indigenous Australian communities. This is mainly because they often interact with tourists at Uluru.
Uluru and Its Significance
Uluṟu holds many important stories for Indigenous Australians from all over Central Australia. Some of these stories are shown in paintings and artwork. Many of them are connected to the dreamtime, which is a spiritual time for Aboriginal people. Uluru is seen as explaining why humans exist. The stories also help describe the plants (flora) and animals (fauna) found around the area.
Climbing Uluru: A Sacred Place
Since 1990, the local Indigenous community has asked visitors not to climb Uluru. Signs were put up in 1989 to explain this. They asked people to respect Uluru's sacred meaning. In 2017, the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park board decided to ban climbing completely. This ban officially started on October 26, 2019.
Who Cares for Uluru?
The Anangu people see themselves as caretakers of Uluru, not its owners. For many years, Uluru was controlled by non-Aboriginal Australians. Motels were even built very close to it. The traditional owners, who had been forced to leave the national park, eventually returned. They worked to get their land rights back. Tourist facilities have now been moved about 24 kilometers north to Yulara. This town is just outside the national park boundary.
Returning Land Ownership
The ownership of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park was officially given back to the traditional owners on October 26, 1985. This was an important moment for the Anangu people.
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Mutitjulu para niños
