Wakaya people facts for kids
The Wakaya are an Aboriginal Australian people. This means they are one of the first groups of people to live in Australia. They come from the Northern Territory, a large area in the middle of Australia.
Contents
Where the Wakaya Lived
The Wakaya people lived on a large area of land that was traditionally theirs. A mapmaker named Norman Tindale estimated their traditional country was about 15,000 square miles (38,850 square kilometers). This is a very big area!
Their Language
The original Wakaya language is no longer spoken today. This means it is extinct.
How They Lived
The Wakaya people were known for how they gathered food. They were one of several Aboriginal groups who harvested seeds from a plant called purslane. They would collect these seeds and then thresh them. Threshing means separating the seeds from the plant material. They did this inside circles made of stone. The seeds were important because they provided oily nutrients, which were a good source of energy. Other groups who also did this included the Watjarri, Wanman, Pitjantjatjara, Ngadadjara, and Alyawarre peoples.
Getting Their Land Back
In 1980, the Wakaya people, along with the Alyawarre people, asked for their traditional land back. This process is called a land claim. They asked for land near a small community called Purrukwarra.
After many years, on October 22, 1992, they were given some of their land back. The Wakaya people received about 1,874 square kilometers (724 square miles). The Alyawarre people received about 2,065 square kilometers (797 square miles). These areas were only small parts of the much larger land they had originally asked for.
Other Names for Wakaya
- Wagaja, Waggaia
- Wagai, Waagai
- Wagaiau, Waagi
- Warkya
- Wogaia, Worgaia, Worgai, Workaia, Warkaia
- Workia, Workii, Woorkia
- Lee-wakya
- Akaja (This is a name given by the Kaytetye people)
- Ukkia, Arkiya
