Wenamba facts for kids

The Wenamba are an Aboriginal Australian people. They come from the central eastern part of Western Australia. This area is known as the Goldfields Region.

Language and Communication

The Wenamba people spoke a language. It was a dialect, which means a special way of speaking. Their dialect was very much like the language of the Pintupi people.

Traditional Lands

The Wenamba lived over a large area of land. It was about 25,900 square kilometers (10,000 square miles). A researcher named Norman Tindale studied their lands. He said they lived north of the Rawlinson Ranges. Their land also included Lake Neale and Lake Hopkins. It stretched north towards Lake Macdonald. To the west, their land reached a place called Kurultu/Kurultja. This place is thought to be near the Baron Range.

About the Wenamba People

The Wenamba were their own distinct group. However, they were closely connected to the Pintupi people. The Pitjantjatjara people had a name for them: A:wuntara. This name came from the Pitjantjatjara word a:wu, which means 'yes'. It suggested that the Wenamba were 'yes people'. This was because they were known to say yes to almost every question.

The Wenamba were also part of a larger group of desert tribes. These tribes were generally called Kalgonei or Kalgoneidjara. Another interesting name for the Wenamba was Mangawara. This name meant 'chignon bearers'. A chignon is a bun-like hairstyle. The Wenamba people styled their hair in buns. These buns were sometimes used to carry small items they owned.

Early Encounters

The first known European to meet the Wenamba was a police ranger. His name was Walter MacDougall. One night, he was camping near the Rawlinson Ranges. He heard a quiet shuffling sound. He looked up and saw a young Aboriginal girl. She was walking silently towards his campfire.

To ease the situation, MacDougall spoke in Pitjantjatjara. He commented on the tjilka (prickly) bush tomato seeds. These seeds were scattered on the ground. They made walking barefoot difficult. At that moment, the girl's father came closer. He held his hands open to show he had no weapons. These Wenamba people spoke a dialect. It was different from the Ngadadjara and Pitjantjatjara languages. However, they could understand Pitjantjatjara.

After they became friendly, the father showed his spear. It had three barbs. This was different from the spears of the other two tribes. Their spears usually had only one barb.

In 1950, some Wenamba people moved. They went to the Northern Territory. They settled at the Yuendumu Government Station. Later, they stayed at Haasts Bluff. After that, they decided to move back to their traditional lands. They preferred to live their traditional nomadic lifestyle.

Other Names for the Wenamba

• Wenanba
• Wankawinan (a name given by the Pitjantjatjara people)
• Kalgonei (a Ngadadjara term for their dialect)
• Wanudjara Ngadadjara
• Pintularapi (a term sometimes used for both Pintupi and Wenamba by the Ngadadjara)
• Mangawara
• Kalguni?
• Widanda
• Tjurti (a name given by the Pintupi people)