The subject comes before the verb in English and the object follows, but in Noongar, the word order is subject object verb. We pay our respects to Noongar elders past and present, and acknowledge The Noongar people have lived in the south-west corner of Western Australia for at least 45,000 years. In this way, Noongar language has been kept alive. Ngany waangkaniny. Translated into English this would be maam = men,yonga = kangarooand ngardanginy = hunting. And we come and look there and talk to you old fellow. We pay our respects to them and their cultures; and to elders both past and present., Receive all news and announcements from WAAMH. These words are used everyday but they sound slightly different from region to region. Acknowledgement of Country Ngaala kaaditj Noongar moort keyen kaadak nidjar boodjar. While visitors were provided with a safe passage, they also had to respect the protocols and rules of the land owners tribe while on their Country. Not to the cemetery where they are buried but here because their spirits are in this water. "The doorway to WA is on Wadjuk Country, and what we want is that people understand clearly they are on Wadjuk people's country." Ted Wilkes (2017) The wonna was fired for hardness and was used for digging, killing animals and fighting with other women. The Difference Between Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country In Noongar language, words are ordered differently than in English. The Whadjuk people are part of a larger group that have existed in the South-West of Western Australia (WA) for more than 50,000 years, known by their common language: Nyoongar. Click on the link to view Horton Map. Noongar from different areas brought their goods here for exchange. We acknowledge that Murdoch University is situated on the lands of the Whadjuk and Binjareb Noongar people. We look forward to meeting you and sharing our knowledge and culture with you on a tour through Whadjuk Country. And then of course, into Fremantle itself. The City of Rockingham has close connections with the local Aboriginal community, and these ties have been forged through our Aboriginal Advisory Group and the implementation of the recently adopted Reconciliation Action Plan 2021 - 2023. You have big bearded full moon at night time you can see him, his spirit there, his beard resting in the water. However, the essential elements of welcoming visitors and offering safe passage remain in place. The City of Fremantle acknowledges that there is a wide diversity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, including different cultural groups with . They had come to trade and they brought some medicine and some fire. And Im talking with my cousin now So one of these girls she told a teacher, reckoned that I was swearing at her, I was swearing. We dont want any heathens in this school. Nguny djurapin, nguny koort djurapin wanganiny noonakoort. Welcome to Country Acknowledgment of Country Acknowledgment of Country An Acknowledgment of Country is a way of demonstrating awareness of and respect for Aboriginal protocols and for the Aboriginal people on whose land an occasion is being held. Connection to country is the Noongar people's spiritual and physical care for the environment and for their places of significance. I am delighted to lead the Shire of Toodyay's commitment towards . You will need to apply for membership of your regional corporation separately. A "Welcome to Country" also reinforces . Indulge in unique flavours and memorable dining experiences. Come along and meet us as we share our story, the first story of Aboriginal Perth. Permission to use the Nyoongar seasonal calendar is granted by "South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council". 1.3% of the City identify as Noongar, Aboriginal and/ or Torres Strait Islander peoples. Welcome to Noongar country. Over time, the Noongar people have adapted to the colonisation by Europeans, however their language has made its way into the local English vocabulary - most notably in the names of places, animals and plants. Whadjuk means \"The guardians of the link between the land and the sea\", this link being the Swan River. When we look at the, the city and we think what parts of this city are really important. Your Noongar guide will take you on an ancient Dreamtime journey with its origins in the night sky. The common language between neighbouring Noongar dialectal groups enable us to communicate and trade. 9. Storman). All rights reserved. The circle is an ancient symbol that is found across cultures over millennia. Western Australian Museum, Perth, 1992, [xvi] Kevin Fitzgerald, oral history, South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council, 2006, Copyright South West Aboriginal Land & Sea Council 2023, Nyoongar language from the south west region of Western Australia, http://books.google.com.au/books?id=1e8UAAAAYAAJ&dq=George%20Fletcher%20Moore&pg=PR1#v=onepage&q&f=false. Aborigines of Australia. Any individual can perform an Acknowledgment of Country, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal. The different groups would bring stones and ochres and all sorts of different things from their country that didnt exist in Nyungar country and that is a form of paying their way which puts them into the category of trade and tourism. Whadjuck Noongar would bring these items for trade: Boka: a kangaroo skin garment used for keeping warm and dry. Bo-ye: a rock for kodja, tabba or grinding stones. Bu-ruro: a possum hair neck band worn as an ornament. Bu-yi: a nut from the zamia plant that once treated, was fit to roast and eat. Dardark: a lime white clay used to paint the body at festivals. Kodja: a hammer or axe, broad and blunt at one end and sharpened at the other. And that was only one thing, the other thing was to teach em not to talk in their language, to teach em to talk in the EnglishDoolann Leisha Eatts, oral history, SWALSC, 2003, Noongar language has survived despite the impact of settlement and dominance of English. There are several projects which have begun to record the oral history and language of older Noongar men and women. Watch Kylie Farmer [Kaarljilba Kaardn], Noongar actor, TV presenter, writer and director, in her inspiring talk to TEDxManly in February 2014 on the topic Keep Our Languages Alive, All Should Speak Nyoongar. A Welcome to Country occurs at the beginning of a formal event and can take many forms including singing, dancing, smoking ceremonies or a speech in traditional language or English. The South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council are producing posters in Noongar language. Shane Abdullah, Richard Walley and James Webb perform at National Native Title Conference Welcome to Country 2008 . Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar. It indicates only the general location of larger groupings of people which may include smaller groups such as clans, dialects or individual languages in a group. They contain a word list of local Noongar people from the Victoria Plains. Mirram the Kangaroo and Warreen the Wombat. Lowanna. Noonak moorditj, noonook ngaangk yira. vol 1, no 13, 30th March, 1833, pp.51-52, [x] Moore, G.F. Diary of ten years eventful life of an early settler in Western Australia; and also, A descriptive vocabulary of the language of the Aborigines, London: M Wallbrook, 1884, [xi] Grey, G. A Vocabulary of the Dialects of South West Australia. But what are the differences, who can provide one, and which words should you use? Cheers.Kym Rowe. Meeukang Warangka ba Kenniny means dancing and singing in the moonlight in the language of the Whadjuk Noongar people, so get ready . I begin by acknowledging we are meeting on Noongar land and I pay tribute to our traditional owners. Dyarlgarro Beeliar is known as the Canning River and Derbal Yiragan, the Perth estuary waters. We acknowledge the Noongar people as the traditional owners of Whadjuk country, and extend our respects to their elders past and present. There are no set protocols or wording for an Acknowledgement of Country, though often a statement may take the following forms: General:"Id like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet today. Because you get one linguist or an Aboriginal person and another person writing it down and another person reading it, doesnt necessarily come out the way it was written down, and then it creates a bit of confusion but we all generally know what we are talking about.Doc Renolds in van den Berg, Collard, Harben and Byrne, Nyungar Tourism in the South West of Western Australia, Murdoch University, 2005. This beautiful name is a Gumbaynggir word that translates to girl. Adopted into the local English language are also many Noongar plant and animal names: Marri, Karri, Jarrah, Quenda (Bandicoot), Quokka and Jilgie. For information on Welcome to Country please contact the Community Capacity Team on 9806 5138. So that's what our people did. One of the most well known Noongar trade fairs or meeting place was in Pinjarup Noongar budjar. First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we Acknowledgements can also be in written form. Starting at 10:15 am every day from 3 January to 5 February (excluding public holidays). Any individual can perform an Acknowledgment of Country, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal. Our language is made up of fourteen different dialects. Below are three examples of Acknowledgments of Country that can be used on Noongar land provided by the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council; I/We wish to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land we are meeting on, the Whadjuk (Perth region) people. If youre a member of the public looking performers who can provide this service in your area, contact SWALSC. Watch Noongar of the Beeliar for a sense of place around the Swan River. Noongar is the official language of the Aboriginal people of the south-west of Western Australia. Consisting of 14 different dialects, Noongar is an oral language and the spelling of it is variable. We welcome you to the land of the Whadjuk people which we have called home since the beginning of time. [i] Tindale, N.B. All our resources are free and mapped to the Australian Curriculum. The location is North Thomson Bay, next to the Visitor Centre. Bridge (ed. Drawn by Roni Forrest for the Aboriginal Cultural Expo at Curtin University, 22 March 2013. The Whadjuk are just one of the 14 tribes of the Noongar people. The tide comes in and the river comes up and goes down. A lot of the Nyungar history and culture have come from word of mouth from our Nyungar elders.Craig McVee in van den Berg, Collard, Harben and Byrne, Nyungar Tourism in the South West of Western Australia, Murdoch University, 2005. Culture is formed. Wort koorl deman, that means go away grandmother. Free daily Welcome to Country hosted by a Whadjuk Noongar Traditional Owner. This video. Yuat Noongar would bring for trade the following items, among others: Borryl: quartz used for the sharp edges on the gidgee and tabba. Dowak: a short heavy stick used for hunting animals and birds. D-yuna: a fighting stick used during wars and in friendly contests. Gidgee: a spear about two and a half metres in length. Kylie: a flat, curved piece of wood (boomerang) used for hunting animals and birds. Miro: a throwing board used by Noongar people to propel the gidgee. Join the Joyous Celebration of Meeukang Warangka ba Kenniny. [xvi], See long time ago, this is traditional law go back long time with Noongar for a little kid to talk Noongar, old fella get im in is arm and get the fly lizard and he say something and put it on his tongue, and put it away, and that kid hell grow up talking Noongar, fluently.Kevin Fitzgerald, oral history, SWALSC, 2006, Rosezanna Jetta learning Noongar language from Charmaine Bennell at Djidi Djidi school in Bunbury.Courtesy The West Australian. Whadjuk Biddi . Thank you for the opportunity and inviting me here this evening to share with you my story and 'Welcome to Country'. Some locations are particularly special to the Whadjuk people, such as a cave along the Derbal Yarrigan (the Swan River) where it's believed the creation serpent lives. Nyungar language has a harmonious quality, and it is a real treat to hear two fluent speakers in conversation.Noongar Elder Ralph Winmar in van den Berg, Collard, Harben and Byrne, Nyungar Tourism in the South West of Western Australia, Murdoch University, 2005. Noongar Language and Culture Centre (Aboriginal Corporation), Bunbury, 1992, [xv] Bindon, Peter and Chadwick, Ross. Yoowart koorl ngaalang moort-moort djooroot. Pinjarup Noongar would trade the following items at the Mandura: Burdun: a light gidgee, highly prized for the elasticity of the timber. Durda-dyer: a skin of a dingo tail, worn on the upper part of the forehead as an ornament. Ngow-er: a small tuft of feathers tied to a stick and worn in the hair for ornamentation. Niggara: a human hair girdle worn around the waist. Just wondering if you know of any language courses running for us wadgellas, round Perth. For nearly two centuries Noongar language has adapted to the impacts of colonisation and survived government reserves and missions, where it was also forbidden for Noongar people to speak our language. . So it was really important. A child is called a nop. The area now known as the City of Armadale was originally occupied by the Noongar people many thousands of years before European settlement. We acknowledge the invasion, atrocities and subsequent acts that traumatise our . The location is North Thomson Bay, next to the Visitor Centre. Starting at 10:15 am every day from 3 January to 5 February (excluding public holidays). Koolark means Home in the Noongar language. In 1833, Robert Lyon published articles on Noongar customs manners and dialects. [xv] The spelling is as it was written by the original non-Noongar authors rather than the current accepted spelling. They call their brother ngoony and sister djook. Ingrid Cumming - Custodian & Traditional Owner of Whadjuk Noongar Country Ingrid Cumming is a Whadjuk Balardong Noongar woman from Fremantle, Western Australia and recognised young leader within the First Nations community. Let your Noongar tour guides tell you the First Story of this land, before Europeans arrived, invoking the sights and sounds of Crossing into another tribes Country required a request for permission to enter. undertake a Welcome to Country, if it is taking place in Noongar country; recommendation on a staff member to contact to organise a Welcome to Country if the event will be held outside of Noongar country; assistance with wording and pronunciation of Acknowledgment Statements in Noongar country, through delivery the of Noongar click here to add your name to SWALSCs list. Kaya noonakoort. Meet at the first pavilion. Whadjuk: is one of 14 dialectal groups of Nyoongar people. The custom of teaching Noongar continues to be handed down from Elders to children. Many Noongar people of today grew up speaking English in school and Noongar at home. Also used during ceremonies. Privacy Statement | Site Map | Contact, South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council, Collaborative and Responsive Engagement (CARE) Hub. And natural grasses grew all along the banks and they were encouraged to grow there, and the main encouragement for them to grow there was the use of fire. Journal of Biogeography 27: 1257-1268. Mandurah Bridge - on the wall at the western end of the bridge's footpath is a welcome to country written in Noongar dialect. Welcome to Boola Katitjin - our sustainable, inclusive and tech-enabled learning space. An early colonial also observed and recorded our Noongar tradition: I have reason to believe that their [Nyungar] history and geography are handed down from generation to generation orally. Robert Menli Lyon, 1833. Nyoondool wart boola waangkiny wer djinang ngaalang kwobidak boodjar. Courtesy The West Australian, 9 July 2002. The major cities and towns within the Whajuk region include Perth, Fremantle, Joondalup, Armadale, Toodyay, Wundowie, Bullsbrook and Chidlow. The story of the Charnok Woman is particularly important to Joondalup. And we come to this place here today to show respect to him plus also to meet our people because when they pass away this is where we come to talk to them. View the full Colonisation of Perth collection, The Traditional Owners of Perth: Traditional Whadjuk lifestyle, Why the Swan River? Source: Shane Pickett, 1998; Art Gallery . P.J. Throughout the Whadjuk Region there are a range of significant Noongar sites. A Welcome to Country can often involve such activities as a song, dance, smoking ceremonies, or the exchange of gifts. That was, like, along the river. I would also like to pay my respects to Elders past and present. You are invited to a free Welcome to Country hosted by a Whadjuk Noongar Traditional Owner. Include Aboriginal dance, music and storytelling. So it's estuarine and it's, um, subject to tidal movement as well. Doolan Leisha Eatts talks about Badjaling reserve and how the missionaries stopped the children from speaking Noongar. Well, that's where our people used to live. But I wasnt swearing. Mooly is your nose, dwonk is your ear, marr is your hand and ngorrolick is your teeth I love going to Badgaling, we get gum from the trees, look for yonga (kangaroo) when I am in the bush I feel free.Bianca, 9 years old, interviewed February 2013, SWALSC, Manna gum collected from Ballardong booja. Noongar language has also been adapted into the local English vocabulary, notably with places, plants and animals. An Acknowledgement of Country is an opportunity for anyone to show respect for Traditional Owners and the continuing connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to Country. While missions set out to break the chain of learning Noongar culture and language, grouping Noongar people together allowed parents and Elders to continue to pass language on to the younger generation. their wisdom and advice in our teaching and cultural knowledge activities. To celebrate the opening of the new space at the State Buildings, KAMIL GALLERY is pleased to invite you to the VIP opening of CIRCLE CULTURE, solo exhibition by Caroline Christie - Coxon.