Wardaman people facts for kids
The Wardaman people are an Aboriginal Australian group. They live in the Northern Territory of Australia, about 145 kilometers (90 miles) southwest of Katherine. Their home is on the Menngen Aboriginal Land Trust.
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Wardaman Language
The Wardaman language is a special kind of Aboriginal language. Even though it was widely understood in Katherine in the early 1990s, with about 30 people speaking it, it is now an endangered language. This means very few people speak it today.
Wardaman Country
The Wardaman people traditionally lived on a large area of land. According to Norman Tindale, their territory covered about 7,250 square kilometers (2,800 square miles). This land stretched from the southern parts of the upper Flora River west towards the Victoria River. Their southern boundary was around Jasper Gorge.
Early History with Europeans
When Europeans first arrived, their contact with the Wardaman people was challenging. Over time, as their traditional lands became cattle farms, Wardaman men learned to work as cattle drovers. Wardaman women often worked as helpers on these farms.
Amazing Rock Art
The Wardaman people have two main types of art. The first type is called buwarraja. These are ancient artworks made by special beings from the Dreamtime. They are often abstract and some are over 5,000 years old.
The second type of art is called bulawula. These artworks are made by people and show more recent events. For example, they might show things that happened after Europeans arrived, like guns or cattle droving.
Wardaman Dreamtime Stories
Wardaman legends from the Dreamtime tell the story of Yagjagbula and Jabirringi. They are known as the "Lightning Brothers." These brothers are linked to the start of the wet season. You can see them in Wardaman rock art at sacred places like Yiwarlarlay.
Yagjagbula is the younger brother. He is tall and handsome and has a wife named Gulliridan. Jabirringi is shorter and not as good-looking. His wife is called Ganayanda. The brothers take turns hunting and bring food back to their camp.
One day, Jabirringi heard whispering and found his wife with his younger brother. A big fight started between the two brothers. As they threw spears and boomerangs, lightning flashed and thunder roared. When lightning split a rock at Yiwarlarlay, frogs came out to watch.
During the fight, Wiyan (the rain) was told by Gorondolni (the Wardaman Rainbow Serpent) to stop. The rain then turned into the Ngalanjarri rain rock nearby. Yagjagbula won the fight, perhaps by knocking off Jabirringi's headdress with his boomerang. The image of Yagjagbula at Yiwarlarlay is over 4 meters (13 feet) tall. It is one of the largest human-like figures in the world.
Wardaman Community Today
Today, the Wardaman community in Katherine lives in two main areas. One group is at Bunjarri (Binjara) on the Manbulloo station, about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from Katherine. The other group lives at The Rockhole, just over 9.6 kilometers (6 miles) outside town, on the Florina Highway.
Famous Wardaman People
- Bill Yidumduma Harney is a well-known advocate for Indigenous Australians. He has written several books, including Dark Sparklers, which he wrote with Hugh Cairns. This book explores Australian Aboriginal astronomy.
