Pitapita facts for kids

The Pitapita are an Aboriginal Australian people from the state of Queensland, Australia. They are one of the many First Nations groups who have lived on the Australian continent for thousands of years.

Pitapita Language and Dialects

The Pitapita people spoke a language called Pitapita. This language belongs to a group of languages known as the Karnic languages. Pitapita is the most well-known dialect from the eastern group of Karnic languages. Other languages in this eastern group included Rangwa, Kunkalanya, Ngulupulu, and Ringa-Ringa. Pitapita is also closely related to languages in the western group, such as Wangkajutjuru and Lhanima.

Traditional Lands of the Pitapita

The exact borders of the Pitapita's traditional lands are not fully known. Early records from Walter Roth were a bit confusing because they listed many smaller groups within the Pitapita. However, Norman Tindale, another researcher, suggested their land was mainly in the area that is now the Shire of Boulia. This area stretched from Fort William in the north, through the town of Boulia, and about 50 miles south of the district. This means their territory covered roughly 2,700 square miles (about 7,000 square kilometers). Their land was next to the Wanggamala people's territory.

Impact of European Settlement

When European settlers began to move into the Pitapita's traditional country, it caused big changes for many Aboriginal groups in the area. Many communities were forced to leave their ancestral lands. Walter Roth, who visited Boulia, noted that the Pitapita, like most other groups there, were experiencing a rapid decline in their population. He estimated that fewer than 200 Pitapita people remained in the entire district at that time.

Native Title Rights

In 2012, the Federal Court of Australia officially recognized the Pitapita people's native title rights over a large area of land. This land covers about 30,000 square kilometers (about 11,580 square miles) in the Boulia region. Native title means that the Pitapita people have special rights and interests in their traditional lands and waters, based on their traditional laws and customs.

Other Names for Pitapita

The Pitapita people have been known by several different names, including:

• Bitta Bitta
• Pittapitta
• Wangkahicho
• Wangkahichs.
• Wangkapit:a

Some Pitapita Words

Here are a few words from the Pitapita language:

• amma (mother)
• apari. (father)
• munga (tame dog)
• punamya. (wild dog)
• tita. (whiteman)

See also

In Spanish: Pitapita para niños