Mutumui facts for kids
The Mutumui were an Aboriginal Australian group who lived in northern Queensland. They were one of the many different groups of Indigenous people in Australia.
Contents
Their Language: Eibole
The Mutumui people spoke a language called Eibole. Sadly, this language is no longer spoken today. A special version of Eibole, called Ongwara, was spoken by groups living to their north. Ongwara means 'northern talk'.
Where They Lived
The Mutumui's traditional land covered about 1,000 square miles (2,600 square kilometers). This area included places like Bathurst Bay and Cape Melville. It also stretched southwards around Barrow Point and near the Starcke and Jeannie Rivers.
Their Way of Life
The Mutumui people lived in different groups, sometimes called 'bands'. Each band might have spoken a slightly different version of the Mutumui language. We know the names of two of these groups:
- Karbungga: This group lived near the Jeannie River.
- Mbambylmu: This group lived near the Jack River.
The Mutumui mainly lived along the coast, especially around Murdoch Point and Bathurst Bay. They often went into the rocky inland areas. There, they would look for honey and hunt animals like opossums and rock wallabies. They also had special ceremonies for young people becoming adults.
Their History
In 1873, gold was found in the Palmer River area. This led to many new people coming to the region to find gold. During the 1870s, this big rush of people caused problems and conflicts. There were difficult times and violence in the areas just south of the Mutumui lands.
Important cultural items, including sacred bark paintings, were taken from Aboriginal sacred sites on Clack Island. This happened when a doctor and scientist named Richard Coppinger visited on a British Navy ship called the HMS Alert.
Later, in 1882, after a woman named Mary Watson had a conflict on Lizard Island, groups of armed people went looking for Aboriginal people to punish them. These events would have been known to the Mutumui and Ithu people living nearby.
Other Names for the Mutumui
The Mutumui people were also known by several other names or spellings:
- Mutumi
- Baulam (a name given by the Bakanambia people)
- Karbungga
- Eibole
- Ongwara
- Jugaiwatha
- Mbambylmu
