Yan-nhaŋu facts for kids

The Yan-nhaŋu people, also known as the Nango, are an Indigenous Australian group from the Northern Territory. They have close cultural ties with their neighbours, the Burarra, who live on the Australian mainland.

The Meaning of Their Name

The name Yan-nhaŋu comes from the language they speak. The word yän means 'tongue' or 'speech', and nhaŋu means 'this'. So, their name connects them to their unique language.

Their Language

The Yan-nhangu language is part of the larger Yolŋu language family. This family includes many languages spoken by different Indigenous groups in Arnhem Land.

Their Traditional Lands

The Yan-nhaŋu people traditionally lived in a specific area of the Northern Territory. According to studies by Norman Tindale, their homeland included the Wessel Islands, especially the area from Jirrgari Island to Cape Wessel. They also lived on Galiwin'ku/Elcho Island and Drysdale Island.

Their traditional lands also stretched to the Cunningham Islands. In the Crocodile Islands group, places like Mooroonga and Yabooma were important Yan-nhaŋu areas. They were also found at Banyan Island, where the Woolen River meets the sea.

How Their Society Was Organized

The Yan-nhaŋu people had a special way of organizing their society. They were made up of eight main family groups, called clans. These clans belonged to one of two larger groups, known as moieties (pronounced MOY-uh-tees). These moieties were called Dua and Yirritja.

Dua Moieties

There were five clans that belonged to the Dua moiety:

• Bararparar
• Bararngu
• Jan:angu
• Guri:ndi
• Gamalangga

Yirritja Moieties

There were three clans that belonged to the Yirritja moiety:

• Golpa
• Jalukal
• Walamangu

A Look at Their History

In 1921, a Christian mission was planned for Elcho Island. However, because of oil drilling nearby, the mission had to move. It was set up instead at Milingimbi in 1922.

When the mission started, many other Yolŋu people from the mainland came to Milingimbi. This led to some disagreements between different family groups. Because of these problems, many Yan-nhaŋu people moved to Murrungga, an island that was harder to reach.

Learning About the Yan-nhaŋu

For a long time, not much was known about the Yan-nhaŋu people in written records. Some researchers even thought their language was no longer spoken.

In the early 1990s, a young anthropologist met an elderly woman named Laurie Baymarrwangga on Murruŋga island. She was speaking a language that had barely been recorded. Working together for many years, they created a dictionary with over 4,000 words. They also wrote down the grammar of the language and mapped out important places and stories. This work helped to share the rich knowledge of the Yan-nhaŋu people with the world.

Other Names for the Yan-nhaŋu

• Nangu
• Nango
• Nhangu
• Murungga (This is also the name of Mooroonga Island)