Wailpi facts for kids

The Wailpi are an Indigenous Australian people from South Australia. They are also known as the Adnyamathanha, which is a name for a larger group of people. The Wailpi speak a dialect of the Adnyamathanha language.

Where Did the Wailpi Live?

The Wailpi people traditionally lived in a large area of land, about 7,770 square kilometers (3,000 square miles). This land was around places like Umberatana and Mount Serie. Their territory stretched south to Parachilna Gorge in the Flinders Ranges. To the east, their land went past Wooltana.

An early report by a police officer, Henry Quincy Smith, described these "hill people" living in areas such as Mount Freeing, Umberatana, Angipena, Ameandana, Lollabollana, and Illawortina. They also lived near the Daly and Stanley Mine (Poondinna).

Wailpi Stories and Beliefs

The Wailpi people have many interesting traditional stories. One story, recorded by Henry Quincy Smith, tells about how new life comes to be.

In this story, there are two old women called Yammutu who live far to the east. When it rains, they lie down, and the water helps them create many young people called Muree.

As the Muree grow up, they travel west. They carry a small stick called a weetchu. One of the Muree eventually meets a person. The Muree are invisible, so they walk in the person's footsteps to look like them. Then, the Muree throws the small weetchu stick under the person's thumbnail or big toe-nail. This allows the Muree to enter the person's body. Soon after, the person becomes pregnant and later gives birth to a child.

Other Names for the Wailpi People

The Wailpi people have been known by many different names over time. Some of these names come from other Indigenous language groups.