| Bundjalung people | |
|---|---|
| Aka: Badjalang (Tindale)(Horton) Bandjalang(SIL) |
|
South Eastern Queensland bioregion |
|
| Hierarchy | |
| Language Family: | Pama–Nyungan |
| Language Branch: | Bandjalangic |
| Language Group: | Bundjalung |
| Group Dialects: | Arakwal[1] Baryulgal[2] Dinggabal[2] Gidabal[3] Minjungbal[2] Nganduwal[2] Njangbal[2] Waalubal[2] Wiyabal(aka Widje[4]) Wudjeebal.[2] Yugambal (aka Yugumbir[3]) |
| Area (approx. 6,000 sq. km) | |
| Location: | North-Eastern New South Wales |
| Mountains: | McPherson Range Mount Warning (aka Wollumbin ) |
| Rivers[4] |
Lower Reaches of |
| Other Geological: | Cape Byron |
| Urban Areas[4]: | Ballina Beaudesert Casino Gold Coast Grafton Lismore Tabulam Tweed Heads Warwick Woodenbong |
The Bundjalung people (aka Bunjalung, Badjalang & Bandjalang) are those Australian Aborigines who are the original custodians of northern coastal areas of New South Wales (Australia), 554 km northeast of Sydney: an area that includes the Bundjalung National Park and Mount Warning (known to the Bundjalung people as Wollumbin ("rainmaker").[6])
Bundjalung people all share in common descent from ancestors who once spoke as their first, preferred language, one or more of the dialects of the Bandjalang language.
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Norman Tindale 's (1974) Catalogue of Australian Aboriginal tribes identifies the identifying Baryulgal dialect (Badjalang) country as follows[4]:
"From northern bank of Clarence River to Richmond River; at Ballina; inland to Tabulam and Baryugil."
People believe the spirits of wounded warriors are present within the mountains, their injuries having manifested themselves as scars on the mountainside, and thunder storms in the mountains recall the sounds of those warriors' battles.[6]
Wollumbin itself is the site at which one of the chief warriors lies, and it is said his face can still be seen in the mountain's rocks when viewed from the north.[6]
Much of the Bundjalung peoples culture and heritage continues to be celebrated.[7]
And people, these days, now gather annually in the Bundjalung national park as a community to celebrate as a Bundjalung People's Gathering.[7]
"We want to celebrate our Aboriginal traditions and customs. We want to share them with other people an show them our beliefs and our culture is still alive today, it hasn't been lost" - Chris Phillips, event organizer"
On these occasions traditional garments are often worn by the Bundjalung peoples, who partake in custodial dances and other performances.[7]
In November 2007 the Federal Court made a positive determination regarding the existence of native title within Githabul country.[8]
More recently, following successful native title determinations, a few descendants because of invested interests are formally questioning the extent to which the 'Bundjalung' are, or have ever been, a people or a nation [9]