Gamilaraay

The Gamilaroi, also known as Gomeroi, Kamilaroi, Kamillaroi and other variations, are an Aboriginal Australian people whose lands extend from New South Wales to southern Queensland. They form one of the four largest Indigenous nations in Australia.

Name

The ethnonym Gamilaroi is formed from , meaning "no", and the suffix , bearing the sense of "having". It is a common practice among Australian tribes to have themselves identified according to their respective words for "no".Template:Sfn

The Kamilaroi Highway, the Sydney Ferries Limited vehicular ferry "Kamilaroi" (1901–1933), the stage name of Australian rapper and singer the Kid Laroi and a cultivar of Durum wheat have all been named after the Kamilaroi people.Template:Sfn

Language

Gamilaraay language is classified as one of the Pama–Nyungan languages. The language is no longer spoken, as the last fluent speakers died in the 1950s. However, some parts have been reconstructed by late field work, which includes substantial recordings of the related language, Yuwaalaraay, which continued to be spoken down to the 1980s. Analysing these materials has permitted a good deal of reconstructive work. Robert M. W. Dixon and his student Peter Austin recorded some around Moree, while Corinne Williams wrote a thesis on the Yuwaaliyaay dialect spoken at Walgett and Lightning Ridge.Template:Sfn

The Gamilaraay, like many other tribes, taught young men a secret language, called tyake, during their rites of initiation. In these systems, the normal profane terms used in everyday speech had to be substituted with the special mystical vocabulary.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Country

According to Norman Tindale's estimation, the Gamilaraay's tribal domains encompassed some ,Template:Sfn from around Singleton in the Hunter Valley through to the Warrumbungle Mountains in the west and up through the present-day centres of Quirindi, Gunnedah, Tamworth, Narrabri, Wee Waa, Walgett, Moree, Collarenebri, Lightning Ridge and Mungindi in New South Wales, to Nindigully in south west Queensland.

History

The Kamilaroi were hunters and agriculturalistsTemplate:Sfn with a band-level social organisation. Important vegetable foods were yams and other roots, as well as a sterculia grain, which was made into a bread. Insect larvae, frogs, and eggs of several different animals were also gathered. Various birds, kangaroos, emus, possums, echidnas, and bandicoots were among the important animals hunted. Fish were also consumed, as were crayfish, mussels, and shrimp. Men typically hunted, cleaned, and prepared the game for cooking. Women did the actual cooking, in addition to fishing and farming. Individual Kamilaroi did not eat animals that were their totems.

The nation was made up of many smaller family groups who had their own parcels of land to sustain them. One of the great Kings of this tribe was "Red Chief", who is buried near Gunnedah. The Kamilaroi were regarded as fierce warriors and there is ample evidence of intertribal warfare. The Northern Gamilaroi people have a strong cultural connection with the Bigambul people, and the tribes met regularly for joint ceremonies at Boobera Lagoon near the present-day town of Goondiwindi.

Dreaming

Kamilaroi tradition includes Baiame, the ancestor or patron god. The Baiame story tells how Baiame came down from the sky to the land, and created rivers, mountains, and forests. He then gave the people their laws of life, traditions, songs, and culture. He also created the first initiation site. This is known as a bora; a place where boys were initiated into manhood. When he had finished, he returned to the sky, and people called him the Sky Hero or All Father or Sky Father. He is said to be married to Birrahgnooloo (Birran-gnulu), who is often identified as an emu, and with whom he has a son Turramūlan.Template:Sfn In other stories Turramūlan is said to be brother to Baiame. It was forbidden to mention or talk about the name of Baiame publicly. Women were not allowed to see drawings of Baiame nor approach Baiame sites,Template:Sfn which are often male initiation sites. Women were instead instructed by Turramūlan's sister, Muni Burribian. In rock paintings Baiame is often depicted as a human figure with a large head-dress or hairstyle, with lines of footsteps nearby. He is always painted in front view; Turramūlan is drawn in profile. Baiame is often shown with internal decorations such as waistbands, vertical lines running down the body, bands and dots.

In Kamilaroi star-lore myth it is recounted that Orion, known as BerriberriTemplate:Efn set out in pursuit of the Pleiades (Miai-miai) and cornered them in a mother-tree where they were transformed into yellow and white cockatoos. His attempts to capture them were blocked by Turramūlan, a one-eyed, one-legged legendary figure associated with the pole star.Template:Sfn They called Orion's Belt, ghūtūr,Template:Sfn a girdle that covered his invincible boomerang.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The seventh of Miai-miai, being less beautiful, was shy and afraid and she was thus transformed into the least visible of the seven Pleiades.Template:Sfn

Rite of initiation

The rite of passage whereby Gamilaraay youths are inducted by initiation into full membership of the tribe was conducted at a Bora ceremony on a bora site especially prepared for the occasion. Tribes ready to participate in such rituals are contacted, and the ceremonies lasted several days.

The major bora, called Baiame's ground, was cleared on loamy umah soil, roughly in diameter, with the scraped earth used to create an embanked ring about high to fence off the sacred space,Template:Sfn apart from one opening which led into a thunburran or narrows pathway that ran some off to a smaller circle, some in diameter, called a goonaba, constructed in a similar fashion,Template:Sfn Inside this ring two stumps (warrengahlee) formed from uprooted trees, one a coolabah the other a belar, trimmed and turned upside down so that the roots, decorated with twists of bark, flared out.

The pathway leading novices from the larger to the smaller circle was adorned with yammunyamun, figures cut into the exposed sapwood of trees along the route, or drawn on the ground. On the occasion observed by Mathews, on the right hand side, down the track, was a mocked up bowerbird's nest, and further on a scarecrow figure with trousers and jacket stuffed with grass, representing a white man. As the youths passed along this track, the significance of the symbols and their relevance to tribal beliefs was explained.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Further down the path, a yammunyamun image of a bullock was formed from bark, dirt and the animal's skull. At , a long representation of Baiame and his spouse Gooberangal lay, moulded from the earth, respectively on the right and left of the track.Template:Sfn Further on, still on the left, was a carved figure of the Emu,Template:Efn apparently crouching, its head pointed towards the large bora. To its right, a further on, was Goomee, Baiame's fire, a high mound with a lit fire on top. A further on, parallel to the track and on Goomee's side, a codfish was depicted, and after it the Currea, a serpentine creature, and, on the other side of the path, two death adders, followed then by a turkey's nest, an earth-stuffed porcupine's skin, and a kangaroo rat's nest. At last, there was a carving of a full tribal man on one side of the track, and an aboriginal woman on the other.Template:Sfn

Sandstone Caves

File:NPWSIMG 20180508 094847.jpg

NPWS notice board with Gamilaraay/English texts

The Sandstone Caves (within the Pilliga Nature Reserve) are co-managed by the Gamilaraay people together with NPWS.Template:Sfn All interpretive signage is in the Gamilaraay language followed by English. A small example, created by the Coonabarabran Gamilaraay Language Circle (Suellen Tighe, Maureen Sutler, Sid Chatfield & Peter Thompson), is given below. (See adjoining image.)Template:Better source needed

File:SandstoneCavesPilliga27099501127 4df5800a2f o.jpg

Sandstone Caves, Gamilaraay country, Pilliga NR

Nhalay Yarrul Burranbalngayaldanhi nhalay yarrul ghalidu, maayirru. Yilambu yarrul biruubaraay warramayaanhi. Mulamula, nhalay yarrul! Ngamila!

This rock Water & wind have caused this rock to change over a long time. The caves were made long ago The rock is soft. Look out! Don't touch!

Yilambu Yilambu dhurray marandu yarrul barraldanhi ganugu. Mubirr yarrula garray. Ngamila! Garriya minyagaa ngiilay gaanga!

Long Ago Our ancestors made stone tools. They sharpened their axes. They marked the rock. Look out! Don't collect anything!

Dhawun Giirr dhulubaraay dhibaraay, yuularaay dhawun nhalay. Minya minyabul ngarriylanha ngiyani. Giirr dhamali dhawundu nginunha!

The land Around here there are plants, animals and food. We have everything we need. We live with the land. Let the land touch you!

Alternative spellings

• Cammealroy
• Comleroy
• Cumilri, Camelleri, Cummilroy, Comleroy, Cummeroy
• Duhai
• Gamilaroi, Gamilroi
• Ghummilarai, Cammealroy, Kahmilari
• GomeroiTemplate:Sfn
• Goomeroi, Gamilaraay, Gamillaraay
• Gumilroi, Gummilroi, Gummilray, Ghummilarai
• Gunnilaroi
• Kahmilaharoy, Kamilary
• Kamilarai, Kamilari, Kamilaroi, Kamilarai, Kamularoi, Kaamee'larrai, Kamileroi
• Kimilari, Karmil, Kamil, Kahml
• Komeroi
• Koomilroi, Komleroy
• Tjake, Tyake
• Yauan

Source:

Some words

• bundar (kangaroo)
• buruma (dog)Template:Efn

Notable Gamilaroi people

Traditional leaders

• Gambu Ganuurru
• Mary Jane Cain

Modern Gamilaraay

• Arkeria Rose Armstrong (born 1988) - traditional artist
• Richard Bell – contemporary artist and co-founder artist collective PROPPA NOW
• Greg Bird – NRL player for Gold Coast Titans
• Brooke Boney – journalist and presenterTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn
• Bevan French - Rugby League player for the Parramatta Eels and Wigan Warriors
• Adam Giles – former politician and former Chief Minister of the Northern Territory
• Jason Gillespie – Australian Test cricketer
• Cameron Hammond – professional boxer
• Donna HartzTemplate:Sfn – midwife and academic
• Toni Hay – Queensland Women in STEM winner 2020 [1], Author Culture of Inclusion: Indigenous Climate Adaptation [2]
• Damien Hooper – professional boxer
• Ben Jones – NRL player for Sydney Roosters in 2013 via their reserve grade team Newtown Jets
• The Kid Laroi – rapper, singer and songwriter whose stage name is derived from Kamilaroi
• Shaleise Law - Australian rules footballer
• Mundara Koorang – artist, designer, teacher, elder, actor, and author
• Michael Lett – NRL player
• Roger Knox - Country Music Singer also known as the Black Elvis and the Koori King of Country
• Nakkiah Lui – writer, actor, director
• Ray MartinTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn – TV Presenter
• Tracey Moffatt – contemporary artist
• Lyall Munro Jnr (born 1951) – activist and elder
• Lyall Munro Snr (1931–2020) – activist and elder
• Natalie Plane - Australian rules footballer
• Thelma Plum – folk singer/songwriter
• George Rose – NRL player for Manly Sea Eagles
• Dale Shearer – former NRL player for Manly-Warringah and other
• Mitch Tambo – electronic/pop/hip-hop singer and songwriter
• Nathan Thomas – waterpolo player who competed in two Olympic games
• Tarryn Thomas – AFL player for the North Melbourne Kangaroos
• Brad Tighe – NRL player for Penrith Panthers
• Corey Tutt – Young Australian of the year NSW 2020, DeadlyScience founder
• Luke Walsh – NRL player for Penrith Panthers
• Len Waters – first and only Aboriginal fighter pilot in World War 2
• Jonathan Wright – NRL player for Cronulla Sutherland Sharks
• Connor Watson – Australian NRL player for Newcastle Knights
• Thomas Weatherall – writer and actor in the Netflix show Heartbreak High
• Kurtley Beale – Waratahs & Wallabies player
• Geoff Bugden - former NRL player for Parramatta Eels and NSW blues, and Rothmans Medal recipient
• Kobie Dee - singer, song writer and rapper

See also

• Gamilaroi Nature Reserve
• gurre kamilaroi

Sources

• Template:Cite thesis