Wikipedia

Ngambri

TheNgambri,also known asKamberri,are anAboriginalclan or group who claimtraditional ownershipof theAustralian Capital Territoryarea, but their connection to the land is contested. One reason for this is that Canberra, where Ngambri claims are made, lay close to the tribal boundaries that separated theNgarigofrom theNgunnawalpeople (according toNorman Tindale). Other reasons are the dislocation of Aboriginal populations and intertribal marriage and interracial relationships following European settlement, leading to a high proportion of people identifying themselves asIndigenous Australians,but not knowing their traditional origins.

Ngambri people
Regions with significant populations
Australiaover 400[1]
Languages
Walgalu
Related ethnic groups
OtherAboriginal Australians
Black Mountain, part of the claimed territory of the Ngambri.
Black Mountain, part of the claimed territory of the Ngambri

The Ngambri people are represented by aLocal Aboriginal Land Council(or LALC), the Ngambri Local Aboriginal Land Council, based inQueanbeyan.

Traditional owners dispute

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In 1974Norman Tindale,in his major work on Aboriginal tribal boundaries, located the southern boundary of Ngunnawal country close to the ACT boundary, close to the tribal boundaries that separated the Ngarigo from the Ngunnawal people, who were fromYass.[2]

The extent of recognised Ngambri (also known as Kamberri[3]) territory, and of their distinction from other Aboriginal clans or peoples, is contested.[4][5]

In 2002, a group of Ngambri people burnt down ahumpyand dismantled tents at theAboriginal Tent Embassy.At the time, prominent Ngambri elderMatilda Housesaid her people were "cleaning up the site and making it respectable so that when visitors do come here we will be proud".[6]House had been closely involved with the tent embassy since it was founded in 1972 and remembers the four men who founded the embassy as heroes.[7]House had a vision for the future of the tent embassy:[6]

I'd like to see the tent embassy used for a place of education and proper understanding of protocols and the proper understanding of our identity. It could be achieved by looking at a proper way of having a place where Aboriginal people can do what they want and protest. But in a manner that will get the message across and (provide) a really good place for educating the rest of the community. Not this thing where buses will pull up and sometimes people get told the wrong story.

The comprehensive dislocation of Aboriginal populations, intertribal marriage and interracial relationships following European settlement has led to a high proportion of people identifying themselves asIndigenous Australians,but not knowing their traditional origins. In 2012,Australian Bureau of Statisticsrecords showed several Aboriginal families in theACTwere affected by the removal of mixed-race children from their parents in theStolen Generation era.[8]Due to the geographical relocation of Indigenous populations, along with intertribal marriages since the 1900s, there are disputes between people who claim descent from the Ngambri family of the Nyanmudy/Namadgi, Ngarigo andNgunnawal people,who all claim they are Canberra'straditional owners.[9][10][11][12][13][14]

In 2005, in response to a question in theACT Legislative Assemblyabout the status of the Ngambri people, the Chief Minister at the time,Jon Stanhopestated that "Ngambri is the name of one of a number of family groups that make up the Ngunnawal nation". He went on to say that "the Government recognises members of the Ngunnawal nation as descendants of the original inhabitants of this region: there is no specific recognition of the Ngambri group outside of this broader acknowledgement".[15]

The debate came to a head in April 2009 when five "Welcome to Canberra" signs on the Canberra border were defaced by replacing the words "Ngunnawal Country" with "Ngambri Country".[14][16][17]The signs were quickly restored by the ACT Government, with the Chief MinisterJon Stanhopepromising that the signs would be monitored closely in the future.[18]He said that one family who had formerly identified as Ngunnawal later identified as Ngambri, causing "confusion and distress within the community".[19]

In December 2012, the Ngambri Local Aboriginal Land Council made three applications for native title:[20][21][22][23]

  • McQuoid Street, Queanbeyan, NSW
  • Karabar, Queanbeyan, NSW
  • Erin Street, Queanbeyan, NSW

For each application, the court determined that native title did not exist.[20][21][22][23]

In 2013, an ACT Government genealogy report entitledOur Kin Our Countrywas released. The report, researched to settle the dispute of who were the first people, found that the Ngunnawal were not the original inhabitants of the ACT; however they did attendcorroboreesin the area. The report concluded that evidence gathered from the mid-1800s onward was too scant to exclusively support any present day group's claims. It showed that the ACT land had been either part of the Ngarigo tribe territory, the Nyamudy territory, or split between the Nyamudy and Namadgi people.[24]

The ACT Government has recognised only the Ngunnawal people as traditional owners of the land since around 2003.[25]In July 2022, the Ngambri took the ACT government to theSupreme Courtfor recognition of their status as traditional owners[26]but other groups do give acknowledgement, including theNational Museum of Australia.[27]

In April 2023, the ACT Government apologised to the Ngambri people for not recognising them as traditional owners, said that it would be reviewing its Indigenous protocols,[3]and reached a settlement with them. Ngunnawal people called this an "affront" to their people, with spokesman Richie Allan saying that their connection had been proven, and while many peoples have some connection to the land, "they don't belong to this land, [only] Ngunnawal people do". The ACT Government said that it "would continue to acknowledge the Ngunnawal people as traditional custodians of the ACT while also recognising any other people or families with connection to the ACT and region".[25]

The ACT government has apologised to the Ngambri people over its failure to recognise them as traditional owners of the Canberra area. The Ngambri community members argued the omission violated their human rights. A settlement has now been reached after Ngambri custodians Leah House and Paul Girrawah House took the case to the ACT Supreme Court last year under the Human Rights Act. The government apologised and acknowledged that Ms House and Mr House, along with other members of the Ngambri people, "have suffered hurt and distress as a result of the ACT Indigenous protocol". "The territory apologises to the plaintiffs, their witnesses, and other members of the Ngambri (Kamberri) community for the hurt and distress which they have suffered," it said.

LALC

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The Ngambri Local Aboriginal Land Council is based inQueanbeyan.[28]

Traditional diet

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Murnong,a staple in the traditional diet of Ngambri people

Murnong,now rare in the ACT due to land development, were a staple in the diet of traditional Ngambri people.[29][30]They also ategrass trees,[31]bulrushes,native raspberries,apple berriesandnative cherries.[32]

For protein, thewitchetty grub,Bogong moth,[33]emu, koala, cod, platypus, echidna, brolga andbush turkeywere all represented in the traditional Ngambri people's diet.[29][32]

Notable people

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  • "Onyong" (full name Allianoyonyiga), leader of the Ngambri at the time of colonisation[34]
  • Matilda House,prominent elder and activist
  • Shane Mortimer,a Ngambri–Guumaal elder and activist, also National NAIDOC Elder of the year award recipient 2023
  • Leah House, Ngambri Activist and granddaughter of Matilda House.
  • Paul Girrawah House, Ngambri Leader and Elder (Son of Dr Matilda House Williams)
  • Papunya Connors, Ngambri Leader and recipient of ACT NAIDOC person of the year award 2023

Notes

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Citations

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  1. ^NMoA 2011.
  2. ^Tindale, Norman Barnett(1974).Aboriginal Tribes of Australia: Their Terrain, Environmental Controls, Distribution, Limits, and Proper Names.Australian National University.p. 198.
  3. ^abGore, Charlotte (27 April 2023)."ACT government apologises to Canberra's Ngambri people for failing to recognise them as traditional custodians".ABC News (Australia).Retrieved5 May2023.
  4. ^Osborne, Tegan (3 April 2016)."What is the Aboriginal history of Canberra?".ABC News (Australia).Retrieved25 September2022.
  5. ^"Ngambri Identity".ngambri.org.Retrieved25 September2022.
  6. ^abMetherell 2002.
  7. ^Kelly 2012.
  8. ^ACT Government Genealogy Project 2012.
  9. ^Koori Mail2009,p. 4.
  10. ^Bolt 2009.
  11. ^Schubert 2008.
  12. ^Karvelas 2008.
  13. ^Polimeni 2009.
  14. ^abJa 2009.
  15. ^Hansard(ACTLA) 2005.
  16. ^The Post-Courier2009.
  17. ^Inman 2009.
  18. ^ABC News 2009.
  19. ^Sydney 2009.
  20. ^abNNTT 2012a.
  21. ^abNNTT 2012b.
  22. ^abNNTT 2012c.
  23. ^abAustLII 2012.
  24. ^Towell 2013.
  25. ^abRoy, Tahlia (4 May 2023)."Canberra's Ngunnawal traditional owners call the ACT government's apology to the Ngambri people an 'affront'".ABC News (Australia).Retrieved7 May2023.
  26. ^"'Irrefutable evidence of our ancestry': Ngambri custodians take ACT to court ".The Canberra Times.30 July 2022.Retrieved25 September2022.
  27. ^National Museum of Australia."National Museum of Australia – Canberra region".nma.gov.au.Retrieved25 September2022.
  28. ^"Ngambri – NSW Aboriginal Land Council".18 February 2020.Retrieved25 September2022.
  29. ^abMortimer 2010.
  30. ^Report of the Grassland Forum 2010.
  31. ^ACT Territory and Municipal Services 2013.
  32. ^abDining with the Ngambri.
  33. ^The Bogong Moth Story 2012.
  34. ^"About the Ngambri".The History of Ngambri Country.Retrieved7 May2023.

Sources

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Further reading

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  • "Home".The History of Ngambri Country.
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