Yumu people facts for kids
The Yumu (also written Jumu) were an Indigenous Australian people who lived in the Northern Territory of Australia. They were one of many different Aboriginal groups in the country.
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What Language Did the Yumu Speak?
The language spoken by the Yumu people was called Ŋatatara. This language was part of the larger Western Desert language family. Sometimes, people mistakenly thought the name of their language, Ngatatara, was the name of their group. This caused confusion with another group called the Ngaatjatjarra from Western Australia.
Where Did the Yumu Live?
The Yumu people lived in an area of about 4,900 square miles (12,700 square kilometers). This land was located in the Western MacDonnell Ranges. Their territory stretched from east of Mount Russell all the way to Mount Zeil.
To the north, their land was just south of central Mount Wedge and Lake Bennett. Their southern border was around Mount Solitary and Mount Udor. They also lived in places like Haast Bluff, which they called Paura, and near Mount Liebig and Peculiar.
How Was Yumu Society Organized?
Like many Aboriginal groups, the Yumu had a special system for who could marry whom. This system helped keep their society organized and connected. Their marriage rules were similar to those of the Arrernte people, another Aboriginal group.
The Yumu used special prefixes for names based on gender: t(j)a- for males and na- for females. This meant that a man's skin name would start with Tja- and a woman's with Na-.
Here's a simple way to understand their marriage system:
| If a man's skin name is | He would marry a woman named | Their sons would be | Their daughters would be |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tjapaltjarri | Nakamarra | Tjungurrayi | Nungurrayi |
| Tjapangati | Nampitjinpa | Tjapanangka | Napanangka |
| Tjakamarra | Napaltjarri | Tjupurrula | Napurrula |
| Tjampitjinpa | Napangati | Tjangala | Nangala |
| Tjapanangka | Napurrula | Tjapangati | Napangati |
| Tjungurrayi | Nangala | Tjapaltjarri | Napaltjarri |
| Tjupurrula | Napanangka | Tjakamarra | Nakamarra |
| Tjangala | Nungurrayi | Tjampitjinpa | Nampitjinpa |
What Happened to the Yumu People?
Sadly, many Yumu people died because of a serious illness that spread through their community between 1932 and 1940. After this, the remaining Yumu children were adopted by the Kukatja tribe.
Because of this, the Ngalia people, another Aboriginal group, claimed the Yumu's land. They called it mara windjul, which means "unpossessed country." Later, researchers like Margaret Heffernan and Sarah Holcombe could not find much evidence that the Yumu people still existed as a distinct group. Some early observers, such as H. K. Fry, thought the Yumu might have been a part of the Kukatja (Luritja) people.
Other Names for the Yumu
The Yumu people were also known by a few other names:
- Jumu
- Ngadadjara
- Ngatatara (This was a name given to them by the Kukatja people.)
- Pa:kulja
