Wunambal facts for kids

The Wunambal (also called Unambal or Wunambal Gaambera) are an Aboriginal Australian people. They live in the northern Kimberley region of Western Australia. Their traditional lands are also known as Uunguu.

Map showing the area where Worrorran languages are spoken, including Wunambal.

Who are the Wunambal People?

The Wunambal people are known for being very brave and adventurous. They learned how to build special rafts from visitors called the Makassan people. These rafts could handle the strong currents and high tides, which can rise up to 12 meters (about 40 feet)! This allowed them to sail to distant reefs and islands. Two groups, the Laiau and Wardana, were especially good at this.

The Wunambal, Worrorra, and Ngarinyin peoples share a special culture. They are part of a group called Wanjina Wunggurr. Their shared beliefs come from the Dreamtime, which tells stories about the Wanjina and Wunggurr spirits. These spirits are seen as the ancestors who created their laws and way of life. The Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation works to represent the Wunambal Gaambera people.

Wunambal Family Groups

The Wunambal people were organized into different groups or bands. Some of these groups included:

• Laiau
• Wardana (this group no longer exists)
• Winjai (who lived in the eastern areas)
• Kanaria (a group from the northeastern area near Port Warrender)
• Peremanggurei

There was also a group called the Tjawurungari/Tawandjangango. They lived on the Osborne Islands and spoke a dialect similar to the Kambure people.

Wunambal Language

The Wunambal people speak the Wunambal language.

Wunambal Traditional Lands

The Wunambal's traditional lands are around York Sound. These lands cover about 3,800 square miles (9,800 km²). They stretch north from Brunswick Bay to the Admiralty Gulf and the Osborne Islands. Inland, their territory reached about 25 to 30 miles (40 to 48 km) towards the King Edward River. They also lived on the Cape Wellington peninsula and around Port Warrender.

The Worrorra people lived to their south, and the Ngarinyin people were to their west. The Kambure people lived on their northwestern border.

Protecting Native Title Lands

In 1998, the Wanjina Wunggurr RNTBC (a group that represents Aboriginal people's land rights) made a claim for native title. This claim included land for the Wunambal, Worrorra, and Ngarinyin peoples.

On May 23, 2011, parts of the claim for the Wunambal people's lands (called "Uunguu and Uunguu B") were approved. This meant the Wunambal people gained native title over 25,909 km² (about 10,000 square miles) of land. Most of this land is now under their exclusive possession.

The Uunguu land stretches along the coast from the Anjo Peninsula in the north. It includes the waters of Admiralty Gulf and York Sound, down to Coronation Island. Inland, it covers parts of the Mitchell River National Park and the Prince Regent National Park.

Another native title claim was made in 1999 for an area in the Shire of Wyndham–East Kimberley. A part of this claim was approved on November 27, 2012. The Kimberley Land Council helped the Wunambal people with these claims.

The Wanjina Wunggurr RNTBC works to protect the rights and interests of the Wunambal Gaambera, Ngarinyin/Wilinggin, and Worrora/Dambimangari native title holders.

The Historic Boab Tree Carving

In September 1820, Captain Phillip Parker King was exploring Australia. His ship, the HMS Mermaid, needed repairs after being damaged. He ordered his crew to beach the ship at a place now called Careening Bay, on Coronation Island. This spot is about 600 km (370 miles) northeast of present-day Broome.

The crew stayed there for 18 days to fix the ship. They did not meet any Wunambal people during this time. However, King wrote in his journal about signs of life he saw. He described simple bark shelters on the beach and larger buildings on a nearby hill. He also saw remnants of sago palm nuts, which were a common food along the coast.

Captain King told his ship's carpenter to carve "Mermaid 1820" into a very old boab tree. This tree is still standing today! The Wunambal Gaambera people now manage permits for visitors to this area. The Uunguu Rangers, who are Indigenous rangers, build and maintain things like a boardwalk to help protect the environment around the tree.

Other Names for Wunambal