Classical Aboriginal societies in Australia have commonly been described in terms of social organisation and local organisation. This book presents rich detail on a third and related domain that has not been given the same kind of attention: linguistic organisation. Basing their analyses on fieldwork among the Wik peoples of Cape York Peninsula, north Australia, Peter Sutton and Ken Hale show how cosmology, linguistic variation, language prehistory, clan totemic identities, geopolitics, land use and land ownership created a vibrant linguistic organisation in a classical Aboriginal society. This has been a society long in love with language and languages. Its people have richly imbued the domain of rights and interests in country—the foundations of their native title as recognised in Australian law—with rights and interests in the abundance of languages and dialects given to them at the start of the world.
Author(s): Peter Sutton, Kenneth Locke Hale
Series: Asia-Pacific Linguistics
Publisher: ANU Press
Year: 2021
Language: English
Pages: 506
List of figures
Figure 6.1: Paman languages, lexical sharing and geographic distribution
Figure 6.2: Lexical sharing under fictitious Dyirbalngan intrusion
Figure A1.1: Victor Wolmby, Apelech ceremony leader, 1972
Figure A1.2: Estate 40 site: Malnyinyu (Pera Head), Barracuda and Bluefish Story Place, 1988
Figure A1.3: Estate 34 site: Yagalmungkan, red ochre source, 1988
Figure A1.4: Estate 34 site: aak penchiy (danger place) behind mangroves, Norman River, 1988
Figure A1.5: Estate 1 Thikel-aampeyn base camp and rich resource site, 1985
Figure A1.6: Estate 1 site: Waathem, with Cecil Walmbeng, 1985
Figure A1.7: Estate 3 Isobel Wolmby mapping site Thooerpenith, 1976
Figure A1.8: Estate 3 Johnny Ampeybegan mapping base camp site Wachnyathaw, 1976
Figure A1.9: Estate 3 mapping party at Wachnyathaw, 1976
Figure A1.10: Estate 3 Fred Chaney at Watha-nhiin (Peret) Outstation 1979
Figure A1.11: Estate 4 site: Uthuk Aweyn (Big Milky Way, aka ‘Big Lake’), 1976
Figure A1.12: Estate 4 Johnny Ampeybegan at his birthplace site Yaal, Big Lake, 1976
Figure A1.13: Estate 5 Lomai Woolla at Kencherrang, Brown Snake Story Place, 1985
Figure A1.14: Estate 5 mapping Kencherrang area, David Martin with Raymond and Lomai Woolla, 1985
Figure A1.15: Estate 6 site: Aayk swamp, Estuarine Shark Story Place, 1977
Figure A1.16: Estate 6 site: Kuthenhthang cremation mound, 1977
Figure A1.17: Estate 6 mapping site: Wiip-aw (across river), shade camp, 1977
Figure A1.18: Estate 6 Noel Peemuggina at Waathanem-ompenh, wet season base camp, 1977
Figure A1.19: Estate 6 Silas and Caleb Wolmby digging Aayk well, 1977
Figure A1.20: Estate 7 site: Mithenthathenh cremation mound, 1977
Figure A1.21: Estate 11 site: Thew-en (Cape Keerweer), Woven Bag Story Place, 1977
Figure A1.22: Kirke River area aerial photo used in field mapping; pinpricks are site locations
Figure A1.23: Estate 12 site: Um-thunth (Moving Stone, Story Place), 1977.
Figure A1.24: Annie Kalkeeyorta, Estate and Clan 12, Aurukun, 1987
Figure A1.25: Mortuary ceremony, Aurukun, 2009
Figure A1.26: Estate 14 mapping party, Ti Tree area, 1990
Figure A1.27: Estate 14 Ti Tree Outstation, 1979
Figure A1.28: Estate 14 Francis Yunkaporta observes as Bob Massey introduces Fred Chaney to spirits at Wanke-nhiyeng (Ti Tree Lagoon), Two Girls and Moon Story Place, 1979
Figure A1.29: Estate 15 Rupert Gothachalkenin, Thaangkunh-nhiin well, wet season base camp and danger place, 1977
Figure A1.30: Estate 15 Thaangkunh-nhiin, inner camp site, 1977
Figure A1.31: Estate 20 Mapping Kuu’eneng base camp, Knox River area, 1978
Figure A1.32: Estate 20 Mangk-puypeng, Dog Story Place, Knox River, 1977
Figure A1.33: Estate 20 Piithel, wet season base camp, with Jack Sleep and others, 1977
Figure A1.34: Estate 23 site: Thanmel, all-season base camp with cremation and fighting grounds close by, 1977
Figure A1.35: Estate 23 mapping site: Weten (Dish Yard), all-season base camp, 1977
Figure A1.36: Ron Yunkaporta, middle Archer River, 1990
Figure A1.37: Estate 49 John Koowarta, Clan 39, Archer River, 1990
Figure A1.38: Inland forest mapping, Kendall River Holding, 1991
Figure A1.39: Aerial photo of Kendall River mouth with likely hunting fires, 1957
Figure A1.40: Estate 21 Sydney Wolmby and others at Ngaateng swamp, 2007
Figure A1.41: Estate 106 Empadha, South Kendall Outstation, 1978
Figure A1.42: James Kalkeeyorta, Clan 109, Aurukun, 1982
Figure A1.43: Estate 123 Pu’an Outstation at Thuuk River, 1978
Figure A1.44: MacNaught Ngallametta, Clan 97, Aurukun 1987
Figure A1.45: Mapping Koepenth swamp, dry season camp site, Estate 3, with Paddy Yantumba, 1977
Figure A1.46: Ron Yunkaporta tape recording at the bora tree where he was an initiand in 1970, Aurukun, 2006
Figure A1.47: Apelech ritual during mortuary ceremony, Aurukun, 2006
Figure A1.48: Hula dancers, mortuary ceremony, Aurukun, 2009
Figure A1.49: Alan Wolmby (Clan & Estate 6) ‘baptising’ John von Sturmer near Aayk, 1971
List of maps
Map 1.1: Location of the study area
Map 1.2: Cape York Peninsula
Map 1.3: Australian language density distribution
Map 3.1: WCYP language countries (McConnel)
Map 3.2: WCYP language countries (Sharp)
Map 3.3: WCYP language countries (Thomson)
Map 3.4: WCYP language countries (Tindale 1940)
Map 3.5: WCYP language countries (Tindale 1974)
Map 3.6: WCYP language countries (Walsh)
Map 3.7: WCYP language countries (Dixon)
Map A1.1: WCYP ceremonial groupings
Map A2.1: Clan estates and languages: Weipa sheet
Map A2.2: Clan estates and languages: York Downs sheet
Map A2.3: Clan estates and languages: Aurukun sheet
Map A2.4: Clan estates and languages: Wenlock sheet
Map A2.5: Clan estates and languages: Cape Keerweer sheet
Map A2.6: Clan estates and languages: Archer River sheet
Map A2.7: Clan estates and languages: Merapah sheet
Map A2.8: Clan estates and languages: Rokeby sheet
Map A2.9: Clan estates and languages: Holroyd sheet
Map A2.10: Clan estates and languages: Kendall River sheet
Map A2.11: Clan estates and languages: Strathburn sheet
Map A2.12: Clan estates and languages: Ebagoola sheet
Map A2.13: Clan estates and languages: Edward River sheet
List of tables
Table 3.1: Bush camp census data 1928 and 1931
Table 3.2: Shift in surnaming of babies, Aurukun 1960–87
Table 4.1: Wik-Way estates
Table 4.2: Northern coastal estates
Table 4.3: Northern pericoastal estates
Table 4.4: Southern estates
Table 4.5: Coastal and pericoastal named varieties
Table 4.6: Inland named varieties
Table 4.7: Coastal and pericoastal technically defined Wik Subgroup languages
Table 4.8: Inland technically defined languages
Table 4.9: Technically defined languages
Table 4.10: Reconstructed number of estates per language
Table 4.11: McConnel’s estimates of those living in 1929
Table 4.12: Summary of McConnel’s pre-European Wik population estimates
Table 4.13: Birdsell’s estimate of tribal populations for 23 western cases
Table 5.1: Thomson’s lists of Wik-Way language varieties
Table 5.2: Thomson’s ‘also’ list of Wik-Way language varieties
Table 5.3: Gajdusek’s list of Wik-Way language varieties
Table 5.4: Gajdusek’s ‘other’ list of Wik-Way language varieties
Table 5.5: Gajdusek’s north of Archer River Wik-Way language varieties
Table 5.6: Hale’s list of Wik-Way language varieties
Table 5.7: McConnel’s list of Wik-Way language varieties
Table 5.8: Tindale’s list of ‘Winduwinda’ (Wik-Way) language varieties
Table 5.9: Wik Subgroup varieties schematically listed from north to south
Table 5.10: Estates and their language affiliations
Table 6.1: Proto-Paman lexical items (from 100-word test list) occurring in all modern Paman branches
Table 6.2: Wik languages and Middle Paman neighbours south and east
Table 6.3: Wik languages (+) and three Northern Paman languages
Table 6.4: Middle Paman and Northern Paman comparisons
Table 6.5: Wik languages (+) and three noncontiguous Paman languages south and east
Table 6.6: Middle and Southern Paman languages compared
Table 6.7: Average shared vocabulary, the Paman family of CYP
Table 6.8: Lexical percentages shared by the modern Apachean languages
Table A1.1: Modern surnames and their clan and estate affiliations up to c. 1978
Table A1.2: Estates and related surnames as at c. 1978
Linguistic conventions
1. Introduction
2. Talking language: A tribute to Ken Hale
3. Linguistic and territorial organisation: The Wik classical system
4. Linguistic demography of the Wik Region
5. Languages of the Wik Native Title Claim Area
6. Wik Subgroup lexical history
7. Wik Subgroup grammatical history
8. Conclusion
Appendix 1: Wik clans
Appendix 2: Wik estates
References
Indexes
