Ngiyampaa facts for kids

The Ngiyampaa people, also known as the Ngemba, are an Aboriginal Australian group from New South Wales in Australia. The name Ngiyampaa actually refers to three main groups: the Ngiyampaa, the Ngiyampaa Wangaaypuwan, and the Ngiyampaa Weilwan. These groups are like different families or clans within the larger Ngiyampaa nation.

Their Language

The Ngiyampaa people speak a language called Ngiyampaa. The name of their language means 'talk-world'. It has two main ways of speaking, called dialects: Ngiyampaa Wangaaybuwan and Wayilwan Ngiyampaa.

The Wangaaypuwan people are known for using the word wangaay when they say "no." On the other hand, the Weilwan people, who lived near the Macquarie Marshes and Walgett, used the word wayil for "no." This difference in the word for "no" helped people tell the groups apart.

Their Traditional Land

The Ngiyampaa people's traditional land is called ngurrampaa, which means "country" or "homeland." It covers a large area of about 17,000 square kilometers (6,600 square miles). Much of this land is flat.

Their country is located south of the Barwon and Darling rivers. It stretches from Brewarrina down to the Bogan River. The Weilwan clan lived to their southeast, and the Wangaaypuwan clan lived to their southwest. The Gamilaraay people were to the northeast, and the Paakantyi people were to the west and northwest.

Mount Grenfell, which is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Cobar, is a very important place for the Ngiyampaa people. For many years, they were not allowed to visit this special site. They finally got access to it again in the 1970s.

Different Groups of Ngiyampaa

The Ngiyampaa people lived in different areas of their homeland. These areas often did not have permanent rivers or streams. People were known by where they lived:

• Pilaarrkiyalu (meaning 'woodlanders' or 'belar tree people'): These groups lived in the eastern parts of the country.
• Nhiilyikiyalu (meaning 'nilyah tree people'): These groups lived in the western parts, around a place called Marfield station.

These two groups, the Pilaarrkiyalu and Nhiilyikiyalu, were together called "drylanders." This is because they lived in drier areas away from big rivers.

There was also a third group:

• Karulkiyalu (meaning 'stone people'): These groups lived in the stony areas north of the Ngiyampaa homeland.

In addition to these groups, there were also "river people" whose families now live to the east and west of the main Ngiyampaa country. These were:

• Kaliyarrkiyalu (meaning 'people of the Lachlan River'): These groups lived near the Lachlan River.
• Paawankay (meaning 'people of the Darling River'): These groups lived near the Darling River.

History of Contact

In 1914, a local newspaper reported a very sad event that happened in 1859. Around 300 Ngiyampaa people died at Hospital Creek, which is close to Brewarrina.

Some Ngiyampaa Words

Here are a few words from the Ngiyampaa language:

• ngurram-paa – This means 'camp-world', or homeland.
• ngurrangkiyalu – This word means housewife.
• purrpa – This refers to a special school for making men.
• waaway – This is the name for the Rainbow Serpent, a very important figure in Aboriginal culture.
• wirringan – This means doctors or 'clever' people who have special knowledge and healing abilities.