Karajarri are an Indigenous Australian language and cultural group located in the south-western portion of Kimberley region of Western Australia. Karajarri country is located south of Broome.

Culture and Language edit

Karajarri people speak the [[Karajarri Language]. Although there are very few fluent speakers left there have been projects to record the language, including the creation of a dictionary.[1].

Although it includes a significant stretch of coastline, Karajarri people are classified generally as a desert culture.

Native Title and pastoral lease edit

The Karajarri society has been the subject of two determinations of Native Title. The first was in 2002[2] and the second in 2004.[3]

Native Title is held for Karajarri people by the Karajarri Traditional Lands Association (Aboriginal Corporation) RNTBC ('KTLA').

The Karajarri people are also seeking a third native title claim jointly with their souther neighbours, Nyangumarta. The claim concerns an area which has traditionally been lived on and used by both Karajarri and Nyangumarta people.[4][5] It principally covers the Anna Plains pastoral lease, which extends along the coast at the northern end of Eighty Mile Beach.

Pastoral Lease edit

In addition to holding and managing native title, KTLA holds the Frazier Downs pastoral lease. The area covered by the lease was included in the first Karajarri native title determination in 2002 and

Community edit

Situated within the Karajarri native title determinations and Frazier Downs pastoral lease is the community of Bidyadanga. Bidyadanga grew out of the La Grange Mission, which still operates adjacent to the community. Although on Karajarri country, Bidyadanga is home to people from five different tribes from the surrounding area - Karajarri, Nyangumarta, Mangala, Walmajarri and Martu. The Karajarri welcomed the other tribes onto their land when they came out of their traditional lands in the desert to the east and south to escape from a severe drought in the 1960s.[6]

References edit

External links edit