Yadhaykenu facts for kids
The Yadhaykenu people, also known as the Jathaikana or Yadhaigana, are an Aboriginal group from northern Queensland, Australia. Their name might come from the Torres Strait Islander language, meaning "talkers" or "people who speak a lot."
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Language
The Yadhaykenu language was a special way of speaking. It was part of a larger group of languages called Uradhi. These languages were known for using different versions of the word urra to mean 'this'. For example, in the Wudhadhi language, which was spoken nearby, 'this' was said as wudha.
Traditional Lands
The Yadhaykenu people traditionally lived on about 300 square miles (780 km2) of land. This area stretched south from the Escape River to near Orford Ness. It included the land from Escape River to Pudding Pan Hill on the Cape York Peninsula. When European settlers first arrived in the 1860s, there were an estimated 1,500 to 1,600 Yadhaykenu people.
History
The Yadhaigana people were known to have conflicts with the Gudang people. In the 1880s, it was noted that the Gudang people's numbers had greatly reduced.
When settlers moved into their lands, the Yadhaykenu and nearby Unduyamo and Gudang groups resisted. In 1864, a Scottish official named John Jardine described the local Aboriginal people.
Changes and Challenges
In 1868, British soldiers left the area. Then, native police, led by Henry Chester, used harsh methods against the local groups. They caused fear and conflict, sometimes turning different groups against each other. Young Yadhaykenu men and women were also forced to work on pearling boats. Two Anglican missionaries, Rev F Jagg and William Kennett, spoke out against these terrible conditions. However, they were quickly removed from the area.
Conflicts between the Yadhaigana and their Gumakudin neighbours increased as more settlers arrived. Eventually, the Gumakudin people joined with the Yadhaigana. Within 30 years of settlement, the population of the three groups (Yadhaigana, Gudong, and Unduyamo) dropped from an estimated 3,000 to only about 100 people.
New Beginnings
After their traditional communities were broken up, many survivors from different groups married each other. They formed a new, shared identity at Red Island Point. These people became known as the Red Island Point tribes. Because of this joining of groups, the Yadhaigana people now consider themselves connected to the old Gumakudin lands. These lands stretch from Pudding Pan Hill, across Utingu, Red Island Point, Injinoo to Muttee Head on the southwest of the York Peninsula.
Native Title
In 2008, the Gudang Yadhaykenu people, along with the Atampaya and Seven Rivers Angkamuth communities, applied for Native Title. This claim was successful in 2014. Their right to 680,000 hectares of land was officially recognized.
In 2017, Gudang Yadhaykenu leaders, representing about 2,000 people, signed an important agreement. They made a deal to lease parts of their 360,000 hectares of land. The plan is to set up tourism and farming businesses. Money from these businesses will go into special funds. These funds will help improve healthcare, education, and job opportunities for the Gudang Yadhaykenu people.
Other Names
- Induyamo
- Yadaigan
- Yaldaigan
- Yandigan
- Yaraidyana
- Yaraikana
- Yaraikanna, Yaraikkanna
- Yarakino
- Yardaikan
- Yarudolaiga. (Kaurareg exonym, correct form Yařadaigalai).
- Yathaikeno
