Noongar facts for kids
The Noongar people (also spelled Nyungar or Nyoongar) are Aboriginal Australian people. They live in the south-west part of Western Australia. Their traditional lands stretch from Geraldton on the west coast down to Esperance on the south coast.
Noongar country is home to 14 different groups. These include the Amangu, Ballardong, Yued, Kaneang, Koreng, Mineng, Njakinjaki, Njunga, Pibelmen, Pindjarup, Wardandi, Whadjuk, Wiilman, and Wudjari. Today, people often group them into three main areas: the Wardandi along the coast, the Pindjarup near Bunbury and Mandurah, and the Whadjuk around Perth.
The Noongar people come from groups who spoke several related languages. These languages were often similar enough for people to understand each other. What we now call the Noongar language belongs to a large language family called Pama-Nyungan. Today, most Noongar people speak a type of English called Australian Aboriginal English. This English often includes Noongar words and sometimes follows Noongar grammar rules.
Many Noongar people today can trace their family history back to one or more of these original groups. In 2001, about 21,000 people in south-west Western Australia identified themselves as Indigenous.
Images for kids
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Carrolup River Native Settlement, around 1951, near Katanning
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Olman Walley, a Noongar performer, in traditional Noongar clothing
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The Swan River
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Swan River, with Canning River in light blue
See also
In Spanish: Noongar para niños
