Wardaman
Encyclopedia
The Wardaman people are a small group of Indigenous Australians
living about 200km South-West of Katherine
in the Northern Territory
of Australia
. They speak the Wardaman language
which is said to be a near-extinct Australian Aboriginal language.
Perhaps the most famous Wardaman person is Bill Yidumduma Harney
, who is known as an advocate for Indigenous Australians
, and has written several books, including his most recent, on Australian Aboriginal Astronomy
, written with Hugh Cairns, entitled Dark Sparklers.
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....
living about 200km South-West of Katherine
Katherine, Northern Territory
Katherine is a town situated southeast of Darwin in the "Top End" of Australia in the Northern Territory. It is the fourth largest settlement in the Territory after the capital Darwin, Palmerston and Alice Springs...
in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. They speak the Wardaman language
Wardaman language
Wardaman is an Australian Aboriginal language. It is one of the Northern Non-Pama–Nyungan languages. The language is close to Dagoman and Yangman .-Consonants:-Vowels:-References:...
which is said to be a near-extinct Australian Aboriginal language.
Perhaps the most famous Wardaman person is Bill Yidumduma Harney
Bill Yidumduma Harney
Bill Yidumduma Harney is a senior elder of the Wardaman people whose homeland is near Katherine in the Northern Territory of Australia. He is also known as an artist, storyteller, and musician.-Early life:...
, who is known as an advocate for Indigenous Australians
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....
, and has written several books, including his most recent, on Australian Aboriginal Astronomy
Australian Aboriginal astronomy
Australian Aboriginal astronomy is a name given to indigenous Australian culture relating to astronomical subjects — such as the Sun and Moon, the stars, planets, and the Milky Way, and their motions on the sky...
, written with Hugh Cairns, entitled Dark Sparklers.
Further reading
- Dark Sparklers - a description of Wardaman culture, their cosmology, and how it relates to the night sky
- Ethnologue entry for Wardaman