Nukunu

Nukunu (Alternative names Wongaidja (valid alternative), Nukuna, Nukunnu, Nugunu, Nookoona, Nukunna, Noocoona, Nokunna, Nu-guna, Pukunna (misprint), Wongaidja, Wongaidya, Tura (['tura] = man), Tyura, Doora, Eura (general term for several tribes), Warra (name of language), Barutadura (men of Baroota)), are a sovereign tribe of Indigenous Australians who inhabit the coastal region of South Australia around the Spencer Gulf which since the invasion of South Australia by British settlers on 28 December 1836, has now come to contain the cities of Port Pirie and Port Augusta. Nukunu once widely spoke Nukunu language. Nukunu (SC96/5) SA Parties to Native Title mediation 8 June 2001.

Location

Nukunu Nation

The land of the Nukunu people is the eastern side of Spencer Gulf from a little north of the mouth of the Broughton River and the vicinity of Crystal Brook, northward to Port Augusta; east to Melrose, Mount Remarkable, Gladstone, and Quorn; at Baroota. The Ngaiawang of the Murray River used the term 'Nokunno' as the name of a mythical being who went about by night killing people. The Kaurna tribe term ['nokun:a] has a meaning of an imaginary being, like a man, who prowls at night and kills, an assassin (Teichelmann and Schürmann, 1840). The Nukunu were the southeastern-most tribe to practise subincision, in addition to circumcision, as a male initiation rite. Barngarla men used the pronunciation 'Nukuna' for the name. The few Nukunu survivors of the British invasion of South Australia were settled at Baroota inland from Port Germein where they are known as Barutadura.

Bibliography

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• Valentine, J.C. 1886, ‘Mt Remarkable’, in E.M. Curr ed., The Australian Race: It’s origin, languages, customs, place of landing in Australia, and the routes by which it spread itself over that continent, Vol. 2, John Ferres, Government Printers, Melbourne, pp. 136–139.
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References

• Hercus, Luise Anna (1992). "Introduction". A Nukunu Dictionary. Maitland, South Australia: National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry. 

External links

• SA Museum South Australian Museum
• Tindale's Catalogue of Australian Aboriginal Tribes Tindale Tribes - Nukunu