Yunggor facts for kids

The Yunggor were an Aboriginal Australian people who lived in the Northern Territory of Australia. They were one of many groups of First Peoples in the area.

The Yunggor People

The Yunggor were an Aboriginal Australian group from the Northern Territory. They had their own unique culture and way of life.

Their Language

The Yunggor people spoke a language called a dialect of Matngele. This language was part of a larger group known as the Daly languages. Sadly, the Matngele language is no longer spoken today. In the 1960s, only two people remembered it as a second language, which helped researchers record some of it.

Where They Lived

The Yunggor lived on their traditional lands in the Northern Territory. According to a researcher named Norman Tindale, they had about 100 square miles (260 square kilometers) of land. This area included swampland located west of Hermit Hill and south of the Daly River. They were one of several smaller groups living in this region.

Who Were the Yunggor?

There was some discussion among researchers about whether the Yunggor were a separate tribe or a smaller group (called a clan) within a larger tribe known as the Ngolokwangga. Herbert Basedow's work seemed to suggest they were a clan. However, W. W. H. Stanner, who spent a lot of time studying the area later, believed the Yunggor were a complete and distinct tribe on their own.

Important Stories and Ceremonies

The Yunggor shared many traditional stories about creation. These stories were told during special ceremonial occasions. Many of these stories were common in their region.

The Wawalag Sisters

A very important part of their stories involved the Wawalag (also called Wauwaluk) sisters. These sisters were closely connected to the Gunabibi, a legendary mother figure. The Wawalag sisters played a key role in three different important ceremonies:

• The djunggawon ceremony: During this ceremony, dancers would act out a python swallowing the two sisters.
• The kunapipi story: This story was re-enacted to show young men being swallowed.
• The ngurlmag rite: This ceremony focused on details about the Wawalag sisters' shelter.

Other Names for the Yunggor

• Junggor