Warlpiri people facts for kids

A map showing the Warlpiri country.

The Warlpiri people, sometimes called Yapa, are a group of Aboriginal Australians. They are known for their unique Warlpiri language, even though not all Warlpiri people speak it today. There are about 5,000 to 6,000 Warlpiri people. Most of them live in towns and settlements on their traditional lands in the Northern Territory, which is north and west of Alice Springs. Around 3,000 Warlpiri people still speak their language. The name "Warlpiri" can also be spelled in different ways, like Walpiri or Walbiri.

Warlpiri Language

The Warlpiri language is part of the Pama-Nyungan family of languages. The word Yapa means "person" in Warlpiri. The Warlpiri people use this word to describe themselves as Indigenous people, different from "kardiya" (non-Indigenous people).

The language most similar to Warlpiri is Warlmanpa. Warlpiri has four main dialects, which are like different versions of the language:

• Yuendumu Warlpiri in the southwest.
• Willowra Warlpiri in the central area.
• Lajamanu Warlpiri in the north.
• Wakirti Warlpiri in the east.

Most Warlpiri speakers know more than one language. English is often their second, third, or even fourth language. Younger Warlpiri people in Lajamanu have even created a new language called light Warlpiri. It mixes words and grammar from Warlpiri, English, and Kriol. Many Warlpiri also speak other languages like Arrernte and Warumungu. Indigenous sign language is also very important in Warlpiri communication, with hundreds of different signs used.

For example, a sentence like "I am going a long way towards the north now" can be said with gestures: touching the chest, moving a finger, pointing north with lips, and clicking fingers towards the north.

Kenneth Hale, an American language expert, learned Warlpiri very well. The Warlpiri people adopted him into their community. He even taught his twin sons, Caleb and Ezra, to speak Warlpiri.

Warlpiri Country

Warlpiri country is in the Tanami Desert. It is east of the border between the Northern Territory and Western Australia, and northwest of Alice Springs. Many Warlpiri people live in larger towns like Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, and Katherine. Their biggest communities are in Lajamanu, Nyirripi, Yuendumu, Alekarenge, and Wirlyajarrayi/Willowra.

The Warlpiri traditional lands were far from the main roads and telegraph lines built by Europeans. This meant their culture was not changed as much by these new developments. Because of this, the Warlpiri culture stayed strong and grew. By the 1980s, the Warlpiri people had even moved into the lands of other groups as their populations decreased.

Land Claim for Traditional Owners

On August 21, 1980, a group of 90 people made a land claim. They were Warlpiri, Kukatja, and Ngarti peoples, who are the traditional owners of the land. They asked for about 2,340 square kilometers of land under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976. This was the 11th land claim made by the Central Land Council for Aboriginal traditional owners. The land is where the Ngarti, Warlpiri, and Kukatja languages are spoken. People from these groups have influenced each other while living in places like Balgo, Western Australia and Lajamanu, Northern Territory.

On August 23, 1985, Justice Sir William Kearney recommended that the entire area should be given to a Land Trust. This trust would hold the land for the benefit of Aboriginal people who traditionally have the right to use or live on it.

History and Studies of the Warlpiri

Many researchers have studied the Warlpiri people to learn about their culture and way of life.

Mervyn Meggitt lived with the Warlpiri for over 18 months in the 1950s. He wrote a book called Desert People: A Study of the Walbiri Aborigines of Australia about their social system. In the 1970s, Diane Bell studied the lives of Warlpiri women. Her work was published in Daughters of the Dreaming. Liam Campbell wrote Darby: One hundred years of life in a changing culture in 2006. This book tells the life story of Darby Jampijinpa Ross, a Warlpiri man who lived for 100 years and saw many big changes for his people. In 2000, Françoise Dussart published a study about how men and women work together in Warlpiri rituals to pass on important stories and ceremonies about the Warlpiri Dreaming (called Jukurrpa).

The Arts

The Warlpiri are well-known for their traditional dances. They have performed at many big events. Singing and dancing are also used in Warlpiri culture for important life events. These include ceremonies for boys becoming men, healing sicknesses, childbirth, and ensuring good health. The Warlpiri also have many religious ceremonies where they sing and dance.

Many Indigenous artists, especially those in the Papunya Tula art group, are of Warlpiri background. Warnayaka Art, located in Lajamanu, Northern Territory, is owned by the artists themselves. They create art using both traditional and modern styles. A small gallery shows their art, and some of these artists have been recognized in the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award. In the past, Warlpiri artwork was made on wood and sand. Later, it was painted on people's bodies. Today, Warlpiri art is displayed in galleries to share traditions and laws with new generations.

Kinship System

Warlpiri people organize their relatives and everyone else into eight special groups called subsections. These subsections are part of their kinship system. They help decide a person's family rights and duties.

The subsections are grouped into four semi-patrimoieties. Each of these has two subsections. A child always belongs to the same semi-patrimoiety as their father. However, they belong to the opposite subsection within that group. This means that men in a father's family line will switch between two subsections.

The subsections are also divided into two matrimoieties, each with four subsections. A child always belongs to the same matrimoiety as their mother. Women in a mother's family line will cycle through the four subsections in that matrimoiety.

Each subsection is unique because it belongs to a specific semi-patrimoiety and a specific matrimoiety.

These rules mean that people must choose their spouse from a particular subsection. Traditional Warlpiri people do not approve of marriages that break this rule. The correct subsection to marry from is usually the same as one's mother's father.

This subsection system is the foundation of traditional Warlpiri society. It guides how Warlpiri people talk to and see each other. For example, two people in the same subsection call each other "siblings," even if they don't have the same parents. Men in the same subsection as one's father are called "father." This practice is often used even when Warlpiri people speak English. Many kinship terms in the Warlpiri language refer to these "classificatory" relationships, not just direct family members.

Traditionally, the first thing a Warlpiri person wants to know about someone new is their subsection. Warlpiri people often use subsection names instead of personal names. They might even add their subsection name to their English name, often as a middle name. When Warlpiri people marry non-Indigenous people, they often extend the subsection system to their new in-laws.

There is a traditional rule that a man and his mother-in-law should avoid being too familiar with each other. This rule also applies to any man and woman whose subsections are those of a man and a mother-in-law.

Cousins who are children of "classificatory siblings" (who might also be true siblings) of the same sex are considered "classificatory siblings" themselves and cannot marry. However, children of "classificatory siblings" of the opposite sex are in the right subsections for marriage. Marriage between these "cross cousins" is actually encouraged in traditional society. But if a couple are true cross-cousins (meaning their parents are actual siblings), marriage is generally not favored.

In Warlpiri culture, widows are not forced to remarry. They are a very important part of society.

Employment and Community

The Warlpiri people, like other Indigenous groups in Australia, have faced challenges finding jobs. The Australian Government started training programs to help. However, these programs sometimes separated people from their culture.

The Warlpiri are known for being self-reliant and having a strong community. They have their own radio show. This show helps connect Warlpiri people who live far apart and also connects them to the outside world. It also gives young people and women a chance to share their voices.

The Warlpiri people also work with the U.S. company Newmont Mining Corporation. They have a plan called the Granites-Kurra Ten Year Plan. Because the Warlpiri people allow Newmont to mine on their lands, they get more job opportunities. This plan also helps support Warlpiri education and strengthens their community leadership.

Notable Warlpiri People

• Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (born 1981), a Senator for the Northern Territory.
• Bess Price (born 1960), an Indigenous activist.
• Liam Jurrah (born 1988), an Australian rules football player for the Melbourne team.
• Liam Patrick (born 1988), an Australian rules football player for the Gold Coast team.
• Dorothy Napangardi (1950s–2013), a famous artist.
• Rosie Nangala Fleming (born 1928), an artist.
• Alma Nungarrayi Granites (1955-2017), an artist.

Other Names for Warlpiri