![]() Norman Tindale’s map of tribal boundaries was published in 1974. The Tindale Map: Perspectives on the South-West and Noongar Country Noongar people have a long history of culture and tradition and continue to this day to assert their rights and identity in Noongar boodja. Other trade routes existed in the south west and Noongar people could often travel for hundreds of kilometers on foot between each family group. What is now the Albany Highway was once a Noongar track between families in Perth and Albany. It is known that Noongar people travelled within their country to trade with other families. To the north and east Noongar people lived in the semi arid regions of what is now the wheat belt. In the southern coastal area around Albany Noongar built fish traps and hunted turtle. Further south and east Noongar people lived off the resources of the Karri and Jarrah forests. For the Noongar people in the Perth area the main source of food came from the wardan (ocean), the Swan River and the extensive system of freshwater lakes that once lay between the coast and the Darling Escarpment. Noongar social structure was focused on the family with Noongar family groups occupying distinct areas of Noongar Country. Noongar people lived in harmony with the natural environment. Noongar Elder Tom Bennell in Collard, Harben and van den Berg, ‘Nidja Beeliar Boodjar Noonookurt Nyininy’, 2004 Ngulla boodjar, our land, they call this ngulla boodjar our land. Archaeological evidence establishes that we Noongar – alternative spellings: Nyungar/Nyoongar/Nyoongah/Nyungah/Nyugah and Yunga – have lived in the area and had possession of tracts of land on our country for at least 45,000 years. There is no evidence that there has been any other group than Noongar in the south-west. The boundary commences on the west coast at a point north of Jurien Bay, proceeds roughly easterly to a point approximately north of Moora and then roughly south-east to a point on the southern coast between Bremer Bay and Esperance. Noongar boodja – country covers the entire south-western portion of Western Australia. Not all Noongar cultural history and kaartdijin can be shared. Noongar have ownership of our own kaartdijin and culture. Each of these language groups correlates with different geographic areas with ecological distinctions. Noongar are made up of fourteen different language groups (which may be spelt in different ways): Amangu, Yued/Yuat, Whadjuk/Wajuk, Binjareb/Pinjarup, Wardandi, Balardong/Ballardong, Nyakinyaki, Wilman, Ganeang, Bibulmun/Piblemen, Mineng, Goreng and Wudjari and Njunga. Noongar means ‘a person of the south-west of Western Australia,’ or the name for the ‘original inhabitants of the south-west of Western Australia’ and we are one of the largest Aboriginal cultural blocks in Australia. Whadjuk/Wajuk – Noongar dialectical groupīinjareb/Pinjarup – Noongar dialectical groupīalardong/Ballardong – Noongar dialectical groupīibulmun/Piblemen – Noongar dialectical group
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