Pindiini facts for kids
The Pindiini, also known as Bindinini, are an Aboriginal Australian people. They come from the western part of Australia.
The Pindiini Name
The Pindiini people have been known by different names. Another Aboriginal group, the Pitjantjatjara people, used to call them Wonggai. This name meant something like "thieves," similar to how mice might steal flour.
However, the Pindiini people did not like this name. It was an exonym, which means a name given to a group by outsiders. They wanted to be known by their true name, Pindiini. This is their endonym, which is the name a group uses for themselves.
Pindiini Lands
The Pindiini people lived in a large area of land in Western Australia. Their territory was located north of the Nullarbor Plain. It stretched as far north as a place called Loonngana.
According to a researcher named Norman Tindale, their land covered about 11,500 square miles (29,785 square kilometers).
The Pindiini shared borders with several other Aboriginal groups. These included:
- The Nakako people to their north.
- The Ngalia people to their east.
- The Mirning people to their south, closer to the Great Australian Bight.
- The Murunitja people to their southeast.
- The Nangatadjara and Mandjindja people to their northwest.
Other Names for Pindiini
Over time, the Pindiini people were also known by these names:
- Bindinini
- Bindunda
- Wonggai
- Wongaidya
- Wongaii, Wonkai
- Wanggada, Wanggaji
Pindiini History and Contact
Reports about the Pindiini people first appeared in 1934. This happened at Ooldea in South Australia. Many Pindiini people moved to that area around that time.
In later years, the Pindiini people settled in Yalata. They lived there alongside the Ngalea people.
