Kuku Yulanji
Encyclopedia
The Kuku Yalanji are an Indigenous Australian
group originating from the rainforest
regions of Far North Queensland
. They are also known as the "Rainforest People". Kuku Yalanji also lived in coastal and riverine regions with territory from Port Douglas
in the south, Cooktown in the north, Chillagoe in the west. It is thought that there were three to five tribes of Kuku Yalanji prior to European
settlement.
s, prepared and ate toxic species from the rainforest and produced and used distinct weaponry such as wooden shield
s and sword
s. They existed in a complex and social hunter-gatherer type society. They are defined from other groups by single language.
They saw the landscape as humanised describing it human terms and seeing spirits within landscape features. They defined seasonal variations into five seasons.
Reserve around the time of World War II
and the Daintree people were moved to the northern bank of the Daintree River
. They were further subjected to more relocations by the government.
Their culture fortunately has survived.
Other spelling variations of Kuku Yalanji are: Kuku Yulangi and Gugu Yulanji.
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
group originating from the rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
regions of Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland, or FNQ, is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. The region, which contains a large section of the Tropical North Queensland area, stretches from the city of Cairns north to the Torres Strait...
. They are also known as the "Rainforest People". Kuku Yalanji also lived in coastal and riverine regions with territory from Port Douglas
Port Douglas, Queensland
Port Douglas is a town in Far North Queensland, Australia, approximately north of Cairns. Its permanent population was 948 residents in 2006. The town's population can often double, however, with the influx of tourists during the peak tourism season May–September. The town is named in honour of...
in the south, Cooktown in the north, Chillagoe in the west. It is thought that there were three to five tribes of Kuku Yalanji prior to European
European ethnic groups
The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
settlement.
Survival
Survival was dependent on exploitation of seasonal variation. It is believed that the tribe lived in the rainforest region no later than 4,000 years ago. It is known that they had high population density, lived in semi-permanent hutHut
Hut may refer to:*Hut , a small and crude shelter*Hans Hut , Anabaptist leader*Hut Records, an English audio records company*Sunglass Hut International, largest American retailer of sunglasses...
s, prepared and ate toxic species from the rainforest and produced and used distinct weaponry such as wooden shield
Shield
A shield is a type of personal armor, meant to intercept attacks, either by stopping projectiles such as arrows or redirecting a hit from a sword, mace or battle axe to the side of the shield-bearer....
s and sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
s. They existed in a complex and social hunter-gatherer type society. They are defined from other groups by single language.
They saw the landscape as humanised describing it human terms and seeing spirits within landscape features. They defined seasonal variations into five seasons.
History
1877 saw contact between European settlers and Kuku Yalanji through the discovery of gold, mineral exploration and the development of a coastal road. Contact between the groups was violent. By 1890, the tribe was decimated. From 1897 to the 1960s, the Kuku Yalanji like other Aboriginal tribes faced the Government's paternalistic legislation that allowed for Aboriginals to be placed under "protection" in attempt to preserve their culture. The Kuku Yalanji began concentrating around the Mossman GorgeMossman Gorge, Queensland
Mossman Gorge is located in the southern part of the Daintree National Park, 80 kilometres north of the regional town of Cairns. It also lies nearby the farming town of Mossman.It is part of the traditional homeland of the indigenous tribe of Kuku Yulanji....
Reserve around the time of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Daintree people were moved to the northern bank of the Daintree River
Daintree River
The Daintree River runs through the Daintree Rainforest in the Cape Tribulation region of Queensland in northern Australia. It is located about 100 kilometres northwest of Cairns in far north tropical Queensland and drains an area of 2,125 square kilometres. The river, along with the Daintree...
. They were further subjected to more relocations by the government.
Their culture fortunately has survived.
Other spelling variations of Kuku Yalanji are: Kuku Yulangi and Gugu Yulanji.
External links
- Bamanga Bubu Ngadimunku Inc (2006) webpage: "Kuku Yalnji Dreamtime: The People." Accessed 16 March 2009