The Umpila people are an
Aboriginal Australian
Aboriginal Australians are the various Indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and many of its islands, such as Tasmania, Fraser Island, Hinchinbrook Island, the Tiwi Islands, and Groote Eylandt, but excluding the Torres Strait Islands ...
people of the eastern
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia.Mittermeier, R.E. et al. (2002). Wilderness: Earth’s last wild places. Mexico City: Agrupación ...
in northern
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
. The majority of the remnant of the Umpila now live in
Lockhart Lockhart may refer to:
*Lockhart (surname)
Places
Australia
*Lockhart, New South Wales
*Lockhart River, Queensland
*Lockhart River, Western Australia
United States
*Lockhart, Alabama
*Lockhart, Florida
*Lockhart, Minnesota
*Lockhart, Sout ...
.
Language
Umpila is classified as one of the
North Cape York Paman languages
The North Cape York Paman languages are a subdivision of the Paman languages consisting of forty languages, all spoken on the Cape York Peninsula of Queensland, Australia. The languages are grouped largely according to R. M. W. Dixon. The only e ...
. It is one of 6 dialects which are often collectively referred to as Umpila, and, though classified as moribund, it is still spoken by elders, along with
Kuuku Ya'u/Koko Yao and
Kaantju
The Kaantyu people are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Cape York Peninsula in north Queensland. They live in the area around the present-day town of Coen. Most of their traditional tribal land has been taken over for cattle stations. ''K ...
, and efforts are being made to revitalize it. The process of
reduplication
In linguistics, reduplication is a morphological process in which the root or stem of a word (or part of it) or even the whole word is repeated exactly or with a slight change.
The classic observation on the semantics of reduplication is Edwa ...
in Umpila is used for the
progressive aspect, creating forms that are "bewilderingly varied".
Country
Umpila country has been called 'one of the most ecologically intact indigenous domains on earth.' It stretches over some around Cape Sidmouth north to
Night Island, and to the
Chester River. Their territory is very rich in its biodiversity heritage, with some 260 plant species unique to their region. To their north were the
Uutaalnganu
The Uutaalnganu people, also known as Night Island Kawadji, are an Aboriginal Australian group of Cape York Peninsula in northern Queensland. The name is also used collectively for several peoples in this area, such as the Pontunj / Jangkonj (Y ...
, while their southern borders ran up to those of the
Lama Lama.
History
The Umpila were forcibly removed from their land in the 1940s. Most now live in the
Lockhart River Community
Society
The Umpila call themselves ''Umpila pama malngkanichi'', "people of the sand beach", a term which refers to their belonging to the ethnocultural group of
Kawadji
The Uutaalnganu people, also known as Night Island Kawadji, are an Aboriginal Australian group of Cape York Peninsula in northern Queensland. The name is also used collectively for several peoples in this area, such as the Pontunj / Jangkonj (Y ...
of north-eastern Queensland coastal dwellers. Their society had two exogamous
patrimoieties, ''kaapay''(karrpiya/ karpeya) and ''kuyan'' (koiyan), two terms which are also used to classify flora and fauna. The two patrimoieties marry their opposite moiety, resulting in the acquisition of the resulting children to the father's moiety.
Strict rules also govern social interaction between certain grades of affine relationship. Two of the most knowledgeable informants, the tribal elder Horace Rocky and the young park ranger Johanne Omeenyo cannot speak to each other, since a classificatory nephew like Johanne is forbidden to speak directly to his 'uncle', and they must use clan intermediaries.
Native title
The descendants of the Umpila people had their rights to
native title recognised by a
Federal Court decision in 2008. They were recognised as custodians of and as freehold owners of half of this land.
Some words
* ' (red).
* ' (white)
* ' (black)
Alternative names
* ''Koko-umpilo''
* ''Ompeila Ompela, Oombilla''
Source:
Notes
Citations
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{authority control
Aboriginal peoples of Queensland