The Binigura people, these days usually spelt Pinikura, 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 Isl ...
people of the
Pilbara region of
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
.
Country
The Binigura in
Norman Tindale
Norman Barnett Tindale AO (12 October 1900 – 19 November 1993) was an Australian anthropologist, archaeologist, entomologist and ethnologist.
Life
Tindale was born in Perth, Western Australia in 1900. His family moved to Tokyo and lived ther ...
's calculation, held sway over some of tribal land, centred on the
Ashburton River from
Mount Tom Price to
Kooline. Their northern boundary lay around the areas of Mount Amy, Urandy, and the start of the Duck Creek uplands. Their eastern confine is traced to the
lower headwaters of the Hardey River, on the western edges of
Ashburton Downs
Ashburton Downs Station, often referred to as Ashburton Downs, is a pastoral lease that once operated as a sheep station and presently operates as a cattle station.
It is located about west of Paraburdoo and south west of Tom Price in th ...
.
Native title
The
Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura, who are two separate but related peoples, lodged a joint claim for recognition for each of their own countries as well as a shared area. Their rights to lands and waters covering around of an area between
Onslow and
Tom Price (though not reaching either place),
map
were recognised on 2 December 2015, in the ''#1 and #2 v State of Western Australia'' decision. The PKKP Aboriginal Corporation is the representative body administering the lands for both peoples.
Language
The Binigura/Pinikura language is a close relative of the
Thalanyji language
Thalanyji (also spelt Dhalandji, Thalanyji, and other variations) and Binigura /Pinikura (also spelt Pinigura, Binnigoora, and other variations), are two closely related languages from the Pilbara region of Western Australia
Western Austra ...
.
Social organisation
Although each group is distinct, the Kurruma and Pinikura peoples observe common
laws
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vari ...
and customs, and share and protect much of the same land and resources.
Juukan Gorge destruction
The Pinikura people, in alliance with the Puutu Kunti Kurrama in a group abbreviated as PKKP, were distressed by the destruction of a sacred and heritage site in the form of a cave in Juukan Gorge
Juukan Gorge is a gorge in the Hamersley Range in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, about from Mt Tom Price. It was named by the daughter of Puutu Kunti Kurrama man Juukan, also known as Tommy Ashburton, who was born at Jukarinya (Mt Br ...
by mining giant Rio Tinto Rio Tinto, meaning "red river", may refer to:
Businesses
* Rio Tinto (corporation), an Anglo-Australian multinational mining and resources corporation
** Rio Tinto Alcan, based in Canada
** Rio Tinto Borax in America
*** Rio Tinto Borax Mine, ...
in May 2020.
Alternative names
Other variants of the name as supplied by Tindale are:
Notes
Citations
Sources
*
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External links
*
{{authority control
Aboriginal peoples of Western Australia