42-511: Umbakumba is a community located on Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria , Northern Territory , Australia . The main spoken languages are Anindilyakwa , an Australian Aboriginal language , and English . There are also several Yolŋu Matha speakers. It is one of the three main settlements on the Groote Eylandt archipelago, including Milyakburra and Angurugu , where Anindilyakwa
84-508: A clusivity distinction common in many Aboriginal Australian languages – ngakwurruwa 'inclusive we ' and yirruwa 'exclusive we'. 'Inclusive we' includes explicitly the addressee (that is, 'you and I, and possibly others'). 'Exclusive we' excludes explicitly the addressee (that is, 'he/she/they and I, but not you'), regardless of who else may be involved. With the exception of my , possessive pronouns in Anindilyakwa replace
126-428: A roseate tern breeding site. Groote Eylandt has a variety of habitats: dense stands on monsoon forests rising behind coastal sand dunes , alternating with mangrove and mudflats . Sandstone outcrops and laterite provide excellent niches for shellfish. The island hosts 27 species of native mammal, making it the third most mammal diverse Australian island after Melville Island and Tasmania . Until recently,
168-503: A YouTube channel with an expanding content of videos and resources in Anindilyakwa. Makassar people from the region of Sulawesi (modern-day Indonesia ) began visiting the coast of northern Australia sometime around the early to middle 1700s. This happened yearly until the introduction of the White Australia Policy in 1906. The Macassans visited Groote Eylandt for trade, particularly for highly prized trepang in
210-552: A family level isolate, Van Egmond (2012) has demonstrated Anindilyakwa to be part of the Eastern branch of the Gunwinyguan family , relating it to Nunggubuyu and (more distantly) Ngandi , using correspondences between core vocabulary, verbal morphological forms, phonemes, and verbal inflectional paradigms. The analysis of Anindilyakwa's vowels is open to interpretation. Stokes analyses it as having 4 phonemic vowels, /i e
252-632: A quarter of the world's total and, as of June 2023 , it has produced more than 147 million tonnes (320 billion pounds) of manganese ore and concentrate. Concerns have been raised by many community members that this mining, and the resulting dust, posed a significant risk to their health and monitoring has been in place since 2017; South32 does not dispute these readings or provide its own monitoring data. The World Health Organization advised that breathing even low levels of manganese can damage brain functions relating to dexterity and also damage respiratory and reproductive systems. To investigate
294-467: A significant collection of language and cultural resources relating to the Warnindilyakwa people. The Centre undertakes language projects both large and small and offers services such as language recording and resource development, language advice and expertise, and translation. Previously known as Groote Eylandt Linguistics, Church Mission Society ran the department until 2006. The CMS created
336-417: A u/ . Leeding analyses it as having just 2, /ɨ a/ with allophones [ i ɪ u ɯ ə o a ] and [ a æ aɪ æɪ e eɪ ɒ aʊ ], respectively. Anindilyakwa words almost always end with a final vowel 'a'. Clusters of up to 3 consonants such as 'ngw' can occur within words. Anindilyakwa has 5 noun classes , or genders, each marked by a prefix: For bound pronouns, instead of "human male" and "non-human male" classes there
378-488: Is Groot Eiland . The original inhabitants of Groote Eylandt are the Anindilyakwa , an Aboriginal Australian people, who speak the Anindilyakwa language (also known as Amamalya Ayakwa). They consist of 14 clan groups which make up the two moieties on the island. The clans maintain their traditions and have strong ties with the people in the community of Numbulwar and on Bickerton Island . The island's population
420-441: Is 2,326.1 km (898.1 sq mi). It is generally quite low-lying, with an average height above sea level of 15 metres (49 ft), although Central Hill reaches an elevation of 219 metres (719 ft). Groote Eylandt is part of the federal electorate of Lingiari , for which the current member is Marion Scrymgour , who replaced the inaugural member Warren Snowdon at the 2022 Australian federal election . The island
462-843: Is a representative body with statutory authority under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 and has responsibilities under the Native Title Act 1993 and the Pastoral Land Act 1992 . Groote Eylandt lies about 50 kilometres (25 nautical miles) offshore from the Northern Territory mainland (i.e. the east coast of Arnhem Land ), about 630 kilometres (390 mi) from Darwin , opposite Blue Mud Bay . The island measures about 50 kilometres (31 mi) from east to west and 60 kilometres (37 mi) from north to south; its area
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#1732802150558504-525: Is a single "male" class. All traditional Anindilyakwa nouns carry a class prefix, but some loanwords may lack them. The language traditionally had numerals up to 20 but since the introduction of English, English words are now used almost exclusively for numbers above 5. Anindilyakwa uses a quinary number system. The numbers are also adjectival and must be qualified with their corresponding noun class. 'One crocodile' becomes dawilyaba dingarrbiya , '2 turtles' becomes yambilyuma yimenda . 'Nothing'
546-512: Is expressed by nara ebina , 'not any'. There is no term for '"infinity", but the concept "innumerable" can be expressed by: yinguwurramur.dinama dakwulyingarrijanga 'there are too many stars to count.' Size degrees is done in 2 grades the positive and a diminutive ( warrngka ), although reduplication of this word is possible for an intensifying effect. Anindilyakwa features 5 grammatical numbers for pronouns : singular, feminine dual, masculine dual, trial, and plural. The language has
588-405: Is part of a strategy to make the residents of Groote Eylandt economically independent and Anindilyakwa Land Council chair, Tony Wurramarrba, says of it: Nobody would have thought it possible for Traditional Owners to mine their own land in an environmentally, well-managed way. But that’s what we’re going to do. It will create the wealth for us to be able to stand on our own feet. On 20 May 2008,
630-488: Is the predominant spoken language. According to the 2016 Australian Census , the population of Umbakumba was 503, an increase from 441 in 2011. Before European contact, Macassan and Bugis sailors would visit the area searching for trepang from around the early to mid-1700s. They introduced culinary delights such as tamarinds, chilli and beer. The trade continued until the Australian Government introduced
672-584: Is within the Northern Territory electoral division of Arnhem . The current member for Arnhem is Labor Party member Selena Uibo , whose mother is a Nunggubuyu and Anindilyakwa woman. With Bickerton Island and a few smaller satellite islands, Groote Eylandt forms Anindilyakwa Ward of East Arnhem Region . It contains the communities of Angurugu , Alyangula , Umbakumba , Yadagba District, Uburamudja District and Sandy Hill (Groote Eylandt) and Milyakburra District ( Bickerton Island ). Outside
714-542: The -uwa suffix from the singular or plural pronouns with -langwa 'belonging to'. For kinship nouns, there are 7 possessive suffixes used that distinguish between first, second and thirds, singular or plural numbers, and third person genders. The Groote Eylandt Language Centre (GELC) promotes, maintains, and preserves Anindilyakwa. They are based in Angurugu with offices in Umbakumba and Bickerton Island . It hosts
756-474: The Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 , Groote Eylandt was converted to Aboriginal freehold title land. In 1979, control of the island was transferred to the local Aboriginal Town Council. The majority of Australia's manganese reserves are located on the western side of Groote Eylandt and the deposits there comprise oolitic and pisolitic sedimentary manganese and sit within
798-568: The Anindilyakwa people , have 14 clan groups, which make up the two moieties on Groote Eylandt. The Anindilyakwa people have inhabited the island for thousands of years. The clans maintain their traditions and have strong ties with the people in the community of Numbulwar and on Bickerton Island . In 1856, the Jurambunga tribe, a local aboriginal conglomerate would regularly pass the island. There had been regular contact between local Aboriginal people and Macassan traders who would visit
840-705: The Cretaceous Carpentaria Basin . Special mining leases were granted to the Groote Eylandt Mining Company (GEMCO) and it has been in operation since 25 July 1964 near the community of Angurugu and, as a part of its establishment, the town of Alyangula was built as a residence for mine workers in the late 1960s. GEMCO it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BHP but has become a part of South32 since 18 May 2015. The mine produces more than 3.8 million tonnes (8.4 billion pounds) annually – about
882-421: The Gulf of Carpentaria in the Northern Territory of Australia. Anindilyakwa is a multiple-classifying prefixing language in which all traditional nouns, adjectives, personal and demonstrative pronouns are prefixed for person, number and gender. According to the 2021 Australian Census , Anindilyakwa was spoken natively by 1,516 people, an increase from 1,283 in 2006. The local Anindilyakwa people refer to
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#1732802150558924-589: The White Australia Policy in 1906. There is still evidence of the Macassans, such as the wild tamarind trees , which the traders introduced to the area. The place-name itself Umbakumba comes from the Malay word ombak-ombak , which means ‘lapping of waves’. Mr Fred H. Gray, a pearl and trepang trader, established the Umbakumba Native Settlement on an old Macassan trading post. He used
966-561: The Groote Eylandt families with MJD shared a haplogroup with some families from Taiwanese, Indian, and Japanese families. The first European settlement on the island was a Christian mission established by the Church Missionary Society at Emerald River in 1921. In 1943, after a cyclone swept through the mission, CMS decided to move the settlement south of the Angurugu River. The local Anindilyakwa people called
1008-577: The Malay word ombak-ombak , which means ‘lapping of waves’. He used the settlement as a base for trepanging and employed many of the Aboriginal locals during the 20s and 30s. During World War II , in 1943, the mission moved to Angurugu , as the RAAF required the use of the mission's airstrip: the ruins of the RAAF base are still evident today. Qantas used the island as a flying boat base. Following
1050-520: The area searching for trepang from around the early to mid-1700s. They introduced culinary delights such as tamarinds, chilli and beer. The trade continued until the Australian Government introduced the White Australia Policy in 1906. There is still evidence of the Macassans, such as the wild tamarind trees , which the traders introduced to the area. Some Groote Eylandt settlements, such as Umbakumba, can trace their names back to Macassan origin. The first recorded European sighting of Groote Eylandt
1092-484: The chosen location "Mungwardinamanja". However, as it was difficult for the European missionaries to pronounce, the local Anindilyakwa men guiding them chose the name of the Angurugu River mouth "Angurrkwa", which was later Anglicised to Angurugu. Mr Fred H. Gray, a pearl and trepang trader, established the Umbakumba Native Settlement on an old Macassan trading post in 1938. The place-name itself Umbakumba comes from
1134-465: The ecosystem; this includes specific studies looking at the impact of northern quolls (Dasyurus hallucatus) living in the area. Mining rights are renewed every 21 years, with operations expected to continue until at least 2027. In March 2024 a carrier of the manganese ore, MV Anikitos, caused significant damage to the mines port during Cyclone Megan ; this did not lead to a fuel leak but did, temporarily, halt production. In 2019 Wichelsea Mining
1176-439: The federal government signed a deal with local Aboriginal people from Groote Eylandt to lease land to the government for 40 years. In return, the government will spend money in the community to improve housing, education, and health in the area. Anindilyakwa language Anindilyakwa ( Amamalya Ayakwa ) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Anindilyakwa people on Groote Eylandt and Bickerton Island in
1218-478: The island had been open to the public only with permission, and the local Aboriginal Land Council did not encourage tourism. There is now a resort-style hotel on the island, and visitors are welcome. The island is becoming renowned for its fine Aboriginal rock art sites, arts and crafts and outstanding sport-fishing, including sailfish , marlin , tuna , Spanish mackerel , giant trevally , queenfish , and coral trout . The traditional owners of Groote Eylandt,
1260-475: The language as Amamalya Ayakwa ( Amamalya means 'true' and Ayakwa means 'words'). However, Anindilyakwa is still commonly used. Before a standard orthography was established, the name Anindilyakwa had been spelt in multiple ways. These included Andiljangwa , Andilyaugwa , Aninhdhilyagwa , Enindiljaugwa , Enindhilyagwa , Wanindilyaugwaz. The language was also known as Ingura , Yingguru, and Groote Eylandt after its location. Once considered
1302-587: The local government, subdivision is the mining company GEMCO town of Alyangula , an unincorporated territory within the Northern Region of Northern Territory. The whole of Groote Eylandt and its surrounding waters lie within the Anindilyakwa Indigenous Protected Area . BirdLife International has classified an unnamed islet off the north-eastern coast as an important bird area because of its global importance as
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1344-658: The orthography with the Latin script to translate Bible texts into Anindilyakwa. The centre now operates under the "Preserving Culture" department of the Anindilyakwa Land Council . GELC has compiled and published the Anindilyakwa dictionary Eningerriberra-langwa jurra "The Book about Everything", as well as producing an online dictionary, and a web app with the assistance of the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation. They also run
1386-492: The people in the community of Numbulwar and on Bickerton Island . Groote Eylandt Groote Eylandt ( Anindilyakwa : Ayangkidarrba ; meaning "island" / ˈ ɡ r uː t ˌ aɪ l ə n d / ) is the largest island in the Gulf of Carpentaria and the fourth largest island in Australia. It was named by the explorer Abel Tasman in 1644 and is Dutch for "Large Island" in archaic spelling. The modern Dutch spelling
1428-541: The population. The median age of people in Umbakumba was 25 years. The Mamarika Clan are the traditional owners of Umbakumba. Groote Eylandt’s Indigenous population has 14 clan groups, which make up the two moieties on Groote Eylandt. Umbakumba is one of the three main settlements on the Groote Eylandt archipelago where Anindilyakwa is the predominant language spoken at home including Milyakburra and Angurugu. The clans maintain their traditions and have strong ties with
1470-466: The possible impacts on humans studies are being undertaken at the University of Queensland . Sylvia Tkac, an Anindilyakwa woman, who used to work at the mine said of it: We are worried about the future of our children, so we'd like them to do more testing and we'd like to know what positive programs they can put in place to stop this dust. Studies have also taken place looking at the impacts on
1512-502: The settlement as a base for trepanging and employed many of the indigenous locals during the 20s and 30s. In 1938 Umbakumba became renowned as the service and refuelling base for the Qantas Empire Airways flying boats that travelled the long-haul route between Sydney , Singapore and the south of England . During WWII, this converted to a Royal Australian Air Force flying base. The Church Mission Society , which
1554-428: The subsidy paid to the settlement. The Church Mission Society took over control over the settlement administration on February 17, 1958, with Keith Hart as superintendent. CMS renamed the settlement Umbakumba Mission. By mid-1959, the indigenous population had grown to 175. The Welfare Branch of the Northern Territory government took over running the mission in 1966 due to continuing staff shortages. The population at
1596-485: The time was 214. The Welfare Branch later handed administrative control of the township to a self-governing Aboriginal Community Council in 1973. In 2008 Umbakumba became part of the East Arnhem Shire Council. According to the 2016 Australian Census , there were 503 people in Umbakumba. Of these 49.2% were male and 50.8% were female. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people made up 95.6% of
1638-423: Was 2,811 in the 2016 census. There are four communities on Groote Eylandt. The mining company GEMCO established the township of Alyangula for its workers. The three main Aboriginal communities are Angurugu and Umbakumba , and Milyakburra on Bickerton Island . There are also a number of outstations on the island. The Anindilyakwa Land Council is one of four land councils in the Northern Territory. It
1680-583: Was granted an exploration license covering part of Winchelsea Island (Akwamburrkba), which is off the northwestern coast of Groote Eylandt. This company is a joint venture between the Anindilyakwa Advancement Aboriginal Corporation (AAAC) and AUS China International Mining and, in December 2020, they applied for a stage open cut mine plan and in 2024 they completed works on accommodation at the site. This mine
1722-526: Was in 1623, by the Dutch ship Arnhem , under Willem van Coolsteerdt. However, the relative prevalence of the hereditary Machado-Joseph Disease (MJD) in the Groote Eylandt community (a condition otherwise mainly found in the Azores ) was previously suggested as evidence of early contact with Portuguese sailors. (Contact with Chinese traders has also been suggested as a cause. ) Recent genetic studies showed that
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1764-716: Was running the Angurugu Mission on the western side of the island, did not endorse Gray's position on the island. When CMS withdrew the support of the settlement, Gray stated that he chose to continue with the work he had begun. In May 1956, the Northern Territory Administrator sent a letter to Gray stating that it was government policy only to approve of Missions run by recognised "Christian Missionary Organisations", which would exclude "the establishment and conduct of Missions by private individuals as proprietary concerns." The government withdrew
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