The Muthi Muthi people are an

indigenous Australian Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...

people whose traditional lands are located in the Northern Riverina and

Far West Far West may refer to: Places * Western Canada, or the West ** British Columbia Coast * Western United States, or Far West ** West Coast of the United States * American frontier, or Far West, Old West, or Wild West * Far West (Taixi), a term us ...

regions of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. The Muthi Muthi are the traditional owners of Nimmie Caira and the Lowbidgee and share custodial rights for

Lake Mungo Lake Mungo is a dry lake located in New South Wales, Australia. It is about 760 km due west of Sydney and 90 km north-east of Mildura. The lake is the central feature of Mungo National Park, and is one of seventeen lakes in the Wo ...

, Mungo Man and Mungo Lady with the neighbouring

Paakantji The Paakantyi, or Barkindji or Barkandji, are an Australian Aboriginal tribal group of the Darling River (known to them as the Baaka) basin in Far West New South Wales, Australia. Name The ethnonym Paakantyi means "River people", formed from ...

and

Ngiyampaa The Ngiyampaa, also known as the Ngemba, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the state of New South Wales. The generic name refers to an aggregation of three groups, the Ngiyampaa, the Ngiyampaa Wangaaypuwan, and the Ngiyampaa Weilwan, resp ...

groups.

Language

The Mati Mati spoke Madhi Madhi, a Kulinic language, and, according to Barry Blake, one of a subgroup, the Mathi languages, of which Matdhi Madhi is the best known. The subgroup includes the related

Watiwati The Watiwati are an indigenous Australian aboriginal people traditionally living on both sides of the Murray River, from Victoria to New South Wales. Language The "mobs" name comes from a reduplication the word for 'no' (''wati''), typical of indi ...

Letjiletji languages. What is distinctive about it compared to the languages spoken by most contiguous peoples is that it lacks

monosyllabic In linguistics, a monosyllable is a word or utterance of only one syllable. It is most commonly studied in the fields of phonology and morphology and it has no semantic content. The word has originated from the Greek language. "Yes", "no", "jump", ...

nouns.

Country

The Muthi Muthi lands stretched over an estimated 2,200 sq. m. (.), taking in the

Murrumbidgee River The Murrumbidgee River () is a major tributary of the Murray River within the Murray–Darling basin and the second longest river in Australia. It flows through the Australian state of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, desce ...

in the area of

Balranald Balranald is a town within the local government area of Balranald Shire, in the Riverina district of New South Wales, Australia. The town of Balranald is located where the Sturt Highway crosses the Murrumbidgee River in a remote, semi-deser ...

, with their southwestern boundary on the

Murray River The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray) (Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta: ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is Australia's longest river at extent. Its tributaries include five of the next six longest ...

. Their western extension ran cloise by to Lake Benanee. Their northern reaches lay to the west of Carrawatha]. Modern towns encompassed by their territory are

Booligal Booligal is a village in the Riverina area of western New South Wales (NSW), Australia. It is located on the Cobb Highway, on the Lachlan River north of Hay. Booligal is a part of Hay Shire local government area. The name of the village is an ...

, Oxley, Maude, Homebush, Clare,

Kyalite Kyalite is a locality on the Wakool River in the Riverina district of the Australian state of New South Wales. It is part of Balranald Shire and is approximately south west of the state capital Sydney and north west of Melbourne. Kyalite was ...

Tooleybuc Tooleybuc is a town in the western Riverina district of New South Wales, Australia. The town is located on the Mallee Highway, southwest of the state capital, Sydney and north west of Melbourne. Situated on the banks of the Murray River ...

Koraleigh Koraleigh is a small village in the west of the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The village is on the Murray River and in Murray River Council local government area. Koraleigh is northeast of Nyah, Victoria and south of Tooleyb ...

and Euston. Running clockwise, their neighbours were the

Parrintyi The Barindji, also written Parrintyi, are an indigenous Australian people of the state of New South Wales. They are to be distinguished from the Paaruntyi, who spoke a similar language but whom they called the ''spitting people''. Name Parrinty ...

to the north, the YitaYita northeast, the Nari-Nari to the east, the Wati Wati on their southern flank, the

Dadi Dadi The Dadi Dadi or Tatitati are an Australian Aboriginal people whose traditional lands are located along the southern banks of the Murray River in Victoria Australia. Language The Dadi Dadi language is a nearly extinct member of the Lower Murra ...

on their southwestern frontier, and the Kureinji to their west. Archaeological investigation has confirmed a tribal boundary in this location as this is the last known location of Muthi Muthi burial mounds., Martin, S. 2010. Archaeological Research, Characterisation and Predictive Modelling Project. DECCW

Alternative names

* ''Bakiin'' * ''Madi-madi'' * ''Mataua'' * ''Matimati'' * ''Matthee-matthee'' * ''Moorta Moorta'' * ''Muti muti'' * ''Mutte Mutte'' * ''Mutti Mutti'' Source: ;

Native title

In 1997 a claim for

Native Title Aboriginal title is a common law doctrine that the land rights of indigenous peoples to customary tenure persist after the assumption of sovereignty under settler colonialism. The requirements of proof for the recognition of aboriginal title, ...

was made for an area in the south of New South Wales.

Notable people

Kutcha Edwards Kutcha Edwards is an indigenous Australian singer and songwriter. He was born in Balranald, New South Wales, in 1965. A survivor of the Stolen Generations, he was removed from his parents at the age of 18 months. He is a Mutti Mutti man. He was ...

, a musician * Mungo Man and Mungo Lady * Ballandella and Tourandury * Whitepeeper

Language

Country

Alternative names

Native title

Notable people

Some words

Notes

Citations

Sources