Nokaan facts for kids
The Nokaan or Nhugarn were an Aboriginal Australian people. They lived in the Mid West region of Western Australia.
Where the Nokaan Lived
The Nokaan people made their home on a high, flat area. This land was west of the Murchison River. Their territory stretched south from Curbur to places like Yallalong and Coolcalaya. Inland, their land reached close to Northampton.
A researcher named Norman Tindale estimated their land covered about 12,000 square kilometres (4,700 square miles). He believed they moved closer to the coast more recently. This happened after they began to have contact with European settlers.
Nokaan Neighbours
The Nokaan shared their borders with several other Aboriginal groups.
- To their north were the Malgana.
- To their east were the Watjarri.
- To their southeast lived the Widi.
- To their south were the Amangu.
- Directly to their east were the Nanda.
Other Names for the Nokaan
Like many Aboriginal groups, the Nokaan were known by different names. These names were often used by neighbouring groups.
- Noga:n: This name was used by the Malgana people.
- Nagadja: This name meant "easterners." It was used by people living west of Geraldton to describe tribes to their east.
- Nagodja: This was another name used by the Watjarri people.
- Ngadja: A shorter version of the above names.
- Akadja, Akady, Akadi: These are also variations of names used for the Nokaan.
- Wiludjanu: This name was also used by the Watjarri. It meant "western talk," referring to the language spoken by the Nokaan.
