Ramindjeri facts for kids
The Ramindjeri people are an Aboriginal Australian group. They are part of the larger Kukabrak group, also known as the Ngarrindjeri people. The Ramindjeri lived in the westernmost part of the Ngarrindjeri lands. Their traditional home was around Encounter Bay and Goolwa in southern South Australia. This area includes places like Victor Harbor and Port Elliot. Today, their traditional lands are part of important native title claims.
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Ramindjeri Country and History
The Ramindjeri Heritage Association Inc. says their traditional lands included Kangaroo Island (called Karta) and the southern part of the Fleurieu Peninsula. This area stretched north to Noarlunga or even the River Torrens. However, these claimed lands overlap with areas claimed by the nearby Ngarrindjeri to the east and the Kaurna people to the west.
Maps from the AIATSIS, based on Norman Tindale's work, show the Kaurna people on the west side of the Fleurieu Peninsula and the Ngarrindjeri to their east. The Dreaming story of the Kaurna creator ancestor, Tjilbruke, also reaches as far west as Rosetta Head.
There is no proof that people lived continuously on Kangaroo Island before it separated from the mainland about 11,000 years ago. Some small sites have been found, dating back 6,000 to 4,300 years ago. It's not known if these were from visitors or a small group of people who lived there. Scientists think a small group of up to 200 people might have lived there, with the last ones dying out about 2,500 years ago.
In 1837, a group exploring the Onkaparinga River saw Ramindjeri people holding a full moon ceremony.
In the 1930s, researchers Ronald and Catherine Berndt studied the area. They identified six "Ngarrindjeri" clans, including the Ramindjeri lakinyeri. The Ramindjeri lived along the coast from Cape Jervis to just south of Adelaide.
Land Claims and Native Title
Native title is a legal way for Aboriginal people to claim rights to their traditional lands and waters. Since 1998, the Ngarrindjeri people have had a native title claim over Ramindjeri lands. This claim is still being decided.
In 2009, Karno Walker, a spokesperson for the Ramindjeri Heritage Association Inc., said that the Ramindjeri were the true owners of much of this land. He said their claim covered parts of both the Ngarrindjeri and Kaurna claims.
In 2010, the Ramindjeri lodged their own native title claim with the Federal Court. This claim covered over 20,000 square kilometers. It stretched north to the River Torrens, west to Kangaroo Island, and east to the Murray Mouth.
However, the National Native Title Tribunal rejected this claim in 2011. The Federal Court later dismissed the application in 2014.
Because of these land claim disputes, the City of Unley council changed how they acknowledged traditional owners. Instead of naming the "Kaurna" people, they started saying "Aboriginal people" to avoid taking sides in the ongoing disagreements.
Ramindjeri Language
The Ramindjeri language was a dialect of the Ngarrindjeri language. It had its own classification in the AUSTLANG database. Sadly, the Ramindjeri language is now extinct, meaning it is no longer spoken.
Other Names for Ramindjeri
The Ramindjeri people were known by several names and spellings. These include Raminjeri, Rormear, Ramong, Raminyeri, Ramindjerar, and Ramingara. Other Aboriginal groups also had names for them. The Kaurna people called them Paruru (meaning "uncircumcised" or "animal") and Wirramu-mejo. The Jarildekald people, who lived east of Lake Alexandrina and the River Murray, called them Tarbanawalun.
Ramindjeri Clans and Organisation
The Ramindjeri people were made up of 14 different clans. Each clan had its own name, totems (special animals or symbols), and traditional location.
| Clan name | Totems | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Ratalwerindjera | pangarii (seal) | Goolwa to Middleton |
| Latalindjera | kondili (whale) | Latang on the Hindmarsh River near Victor Harbor |
| Muwerindjera | unknown | western bank of the Inman River |
| Ngarakerindjera | ngarakani (shark) | Ngarakerung near King's Point |
| Krilbalindjera | krilbali (brown skylark) | near Kondilinar (place of the whale) |
| Limindjera | limi (stingray or carpet shark) | Hindmarsh River estuary |
| Wati-erilindjera | wati-eri (jaybird) | Near Mount Hayfield |
| Lepuldalindjera | lepuldali (marsupial possum) | Mt Robinson |
| Yaltalindjera | yoldi, yalti (cormorant) | Bald Hills, Inman Valley |
| Pariwarindjera | tjirbuki (species of crane) | Cape Jervis (Pariwa) |
| Yangkalyarindjera | kalaipani (butterfish),tinemari (bream) | Yankalilla to Yankie Hill, and the Normanville coast |
| Meiperinyera | unknown | Myponga |
| Ruwurindjera | uwal, kuratji (tommy rough fish) | Ruwuru south of Port Willunga |
| Tainbarindjera | mulgali (red ochre) | Tainbarung, Noarlunga River |
Ramindjeri Culture and Songs
The Ramindjeri had a special type of tuŋari song called mantimanŋari. These songs were like lessons or warnings for people in the tribe. For example, one song might gently tease someone for acting too quickly after a sad event.
Contact with Europeans
The Ramindjeri were among the first Aboriginal people in South Australia to have regular contact with Europeans after 1802. Before 1836, sealers from Kangaroo Island (Karta) would sometimes raid Ramindjeri ruwe (traditional lands) to take women. In the 1830s, Ramindjeri men also began working as whalers around Encounter Bay.
Victoria Square Proposal
In 2010, the Adelaide City Council planned a big redevelopment for Victoria Square in Adelaide. Karno Walker, along with an architect and consultants, suggested a different plan. They proposed a Ramindjeri-themed redevelopment. This plan was much more expensive but they believed it could be paid for by private developers. The developers would get money from a large underground car park.
