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Eastern Kuku Yalanji People

Category: People
Sub Category:Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander | Native Title Holders (Native Title Act) | Traditional Owner Group (Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act)
Place:
State/Country:Queensland, Australia
Subject Matter:Cultural Heritage | Customary Law | Environmental Heritage
Summary Information:

The Eastern Kuku Yalanji Traditional Owners Group includes three clan groups - Yalanji, Jalunji, and Nyungkul (Willis, Wyles and Richardson, 2021).

Eastern Kuku Yalanji Bubu (country) extends from Mossman Valley in the south to the Upper Annan River and Black Mountain in the north, and west to the top of the Great Dividing Range (Douglas Shire Council). It features a diverse range of ecosystems, including rivers, mountains and coastline (Douglas Shire Council) as well as the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest and National Park (Willis, Wyles and Richardson, 2021). 

Detailed Information:

 The Kuku Yalanji bama (people) have a deep understanding of their land, its seasons, cycles, and ecosystems (Jalunji-Warra People, 2012). They have been managing this land through traditional practices for at least 50,000 years (Diaz, 2021). These practices, and the land itself, hold spiritual significance for all the Kuku Yalanji bama. This knowledge has been passed down from Kuku Yalanji ancestors through Njajakura, their lore or life code (Kaitbal). Traditional land and sea management practices are therefore crucial in keeping the Kuku Yalanji culture strong within the community (Jalunji-Warra People, 2012). This means that living on Country is essential to Kuku Yalanji cultural continuance, with the Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation identifying a weakening of their culture and loss of Country as key threats to their goals and values (Jalunji-Warra People, 2012). 

Kuku Yalanji Elders play an essential role within the community, as decision makers and maja-maja (bosses) of knowledge (Jalunji-Warra People, 2012). They pass on traditional land care practices and cultural knowledge, (Jalunji-Warra People, 2012) as their ancestors have done for at least 50,000 years of living continuously on Kuku Yalanji Bubu (Diaz, 2021). 


Related Entries

  • Daintree Handback
  • Walker on behalf of the Eastern Kuku Yalanji People v State of Queensland [2007] FCA 1907 (9 December 2007) - Native Title Claimant
  • People
  • Kuku Yalanji People

  • References

    Fact Sheet
    Douglas Shire Council Welcome to Kuku Yalanji Country
    News Item
    Junjirrba Wawu Kaitbal The life code: A sky full of secrets
    Carli Willis, Dwayne Wyles and Holly Richardson (30/09/2021) Historic moment as Daintree National Park returned to Eastern Kuku Yalanji people
    Jaclyn Diaz (05/10/2021) A historic rainforest and other lands have been returned to Indigenous Australians
    Report
    Jalunji-Warra People (08/12) Eastern Kuku Yalanji Indigenous Protected Area Management Plan Stage 2

    Glossary

    Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Australia)

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