Nakako facts for kids

The Nakako are an Aboriginal Australian people. They traditionally lived in parts of Western and Southern Australia.

Nakako Lands and Traditional Country

The Nakako people have a deep connection to their traditional lands. A researcher named Norman Tindale once estimated the size of the Nakako's country. He thought it covered about 19,000 square miles (49,000 square kilometers). This area was mainly south and southwest of the Blackstone Ranges.

However, many experts today believe that Tindale's estimates for Aboriginal groups in the Western Desert are not always exact. Tindale also noted that the Nakako were present near the Bell Rock Range. These places are important parts of the Nakako's heritage and history.

First Meetings with Non-Indigenous People

The Nakako were one of the last Aboriginal groups to meet non-Indigenous explorers and settlers. Their first known encounter happened around 1953. A patrol officer named Walter MacDougall met some Nakako people near Woomera.

After this first meeting, the Nakako seemed to disappear from the records for a while. They were then "rediscovered" by non-Indigenous settlers in 1961. This shows how isolated the Nakako people were for a long time.

Other Names for the Nakako

The Nakako people are also known by a few other names. These names might have been used by different groups or in different areas.

• Nakaku or Nangako
• Nangakopitja (This name comes from the Pitjantjatjara language)
• Wanudjara