Table Of ContentLINGUISTIC ORGANISATION
AND NATIVE TITLE
THE WIK CASE, AUSTRALIA
The image used on the cover of this book shows Noel Peemuggina mapping
Kuurn-engkech, a site in his own country (Estate 6, Wik-Ngathan language),
with Morrison Wolmby, Kirke River, Cape York Peninsula, October 1977.
At the time Noel said, in Wik-Ngathan:
The water birds, were here, Burdekin duck [minh kuurn], geese and
others too. Those two [Peter Pumpkin Wolmby and Bob Peemuggina]
used to hunt them. Whistle ducks, magpie geese, and tea tree and the
poison tree [yuk upen] were here too. My two elder brothers, sons of those
two men, used to go hunting Burdekin duck here.1
The day-shade for this place is Thoeker, up on top there, a place for sitting
down. They would return from here to [the base camps] Moekeyn and
Pulthalpempang. They never spent wet seasons at Thoeker.2 Only there
at Moekeyn and Pulthalpempang [in this area] did they erect [wet season
huts]. I also used to come here hunting, from there to Kuurn[-engkech],
right back to Moekeyn and as far as Thoeker.3
The bushfire meats [e.g. reptiles, mice, small macropods, hunted by
organised burns] here belong to us exclusively. Your old grandfathers and
fathers left this country [for us].4
I have never taken someone else’s country, no, only taking my own
country – from father to son. Absolutely.5
1 Not in Sutton (1995a), minh kuurn was confirmed by Ron Yunkaporta (13 September 2019,
pers. comm.) as the same as Wik-Mungkan minh koon, the Burdekin duck or shelduck Radjah radjah
(Kilham et al. 1986:70; Barry Alpher supplied the updated Latin name, 13 September 2019, pers.
comm.). Engkech means ‘long, extended, tall’: PS.
2 This brief account employs a traditional distinction between wet season base camps, day-shades
or ‘dinner camps’, and the resource site in question (Kuurn-engkech). On Wik site use types see
further Sutton (2010).
3 Noel grew up in bush bands and had little contact with Aurukun Mission until well into adulthood.
4 This is a reference to Peter Sutton having been taken as a son by Victor Wolmby, who was a son of
Peter Pumpkin Wolmby. Sutton thus was a putative grandson to both Pumpkin and his brother Bob.
5 Translated by Peter Sutton.
LINGUISTIC ORGANISATION
AND NATIVE TITLE
THE WIK CASE, AUSTRALIA
PETER SUTTON
AND KEN HALE
ASIA-PACIFIC LINGUISTICS
Published by ANU Press
The Australian National University
Acton ACT 2601, Australia
Email: [email protected]
Available to download for free at press.anu.edu.au
ISBN (print): 9781760464462
ISBN (online): 9781760464479
WorldCat (print): 1257514000
WorldCat (online): 1257518525
DOI: 10.22459/LONT.2021
This title is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-
NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
The full licence terms are available at
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode
Cover design and layout by ANU Press
Cover photograph: Noel Peemuggina mapping Kuurn-engkech, a site in his own country
(Estate 6, Wik-Ngathan language), with Morrison Wolmby, Kirke River, Cape York
Peninsula, 1977. Photograph by Peter Sutton.
This edition © 2021 ANU Press
Contents
List of figures vii
List of maps xi
List of tables xiii
Linguistic conventions xv
1. Introduction 1
2. Talking language: A tribute to Ken Hale 17
3. Linguistic and territorial organisation: The Wik classical system 25
4. Linguistic demography of the Wik Region 77
5. Languages of the Wik Native Title Claim Area 101
6. Wik Subgroup lexical history 133
7. Wik Subgroup grammatical history 177
8. Conclusion 221
Appendix 1: Wik clans 225
Appendix 2: Wik estates 391
References 463
Indexes 479
List of figures
Figure 6.1: Paman languages, lexical sharing and geographic
distribution 146
Figure 6.2: Lexical sharing under fictitious Dyirbalngan intrusion
into Middle Paman area 146
Figure A1.1: Victor Wolmby, Apelech ceremony leader, 1972 361
Figure A1.2: Estate 40 site: Malnyinyu (Pera Head), Barracuda
and Bluefish Story Place, 1988 362
Figure A1.3: Estate 34 site: Yagalmungkan, red ochre source, 1988 362
Figure A1.4: Estate 34 site: aak penchiy (danger place) behind
mangroves, Norman River, 1988 363
Figure A1.5: Estate 1 Thikel-aampeyn base camp and rich
resource site, 1985 363
Figure A1.6: Estate 1 site: Waathem, with Cecil Walmbeng, 1985 364
Figure A1.7: Estate 3 Isobel Wolmby mapping site Thooerpenith,
1976 365
Figure A1.8: Estate 3 Johnny Ampeybegan mapping base camp
site Wachnyathaw, 1976 365
Figure A1.9: Estate 3 mapping party at Wachnyathaw, 1976 366
Figure A1.10: Estate 3 Fred Chaney at Watha-nhiin (Peret)
Outstation 1979 366
Figure A1.11: Estate 4 site: Uthuk Aweyn (Big Milky Way,
aka ‘Big Lake’), 1976 367
Figure A1.12: Estate 4 Johnny Ampeybegan at his birthplace site
Yaal, Big Lake, 1976 367
vii
LINguISTIC ORgANISATION ANd NATIve TITLe
Figure A1.13: Estate 5 Lomai Woolla at Kencherrang, Brown Snake
Story Place, 1985 368
Figure A1.14: Estate 5 mapping Kencherrang area, David Martin
with Raymond and Lomai Woolla, 1985 368
Figure A1.15: Estate 6 site: Aayk swamp, Estuarine Shark Story
Place, 1977 369
Figure A1.16: Estate 6 site: Kuthenhthang cremation mound,
1977 369
Figure A1.17: Estate 6 mapping site: Wiip-aw (across river),
shade camp, 1977 370
Figure A1.18: Estate 6 Noel Peemuggina at Waathanem-ompenh,
wet season base camp, 1977 370
Figure A1.19: Estate 6 Silas and Caleb Wolmby digging Aayk
well, 1977 370
Figure A1.20: Estate 7 site: Mithenthathenh cremation mound,
1977 371
Figure A1.21: Estate 11 site: Thew-en (Cape Keerweer),
Woven Bag Story Place, 1977 371
Figure A1.22: Kirke River area aerial photo used in field mapping;
pinpricks are site locations 372
Figure A1.23: Estate 12 site: Um-thunth (Moving Stone, Story
Place), 1977 373
Figure A1.24: Annie Kalkeeyorta, Estate and Clan 12, Aurukun,
1987 374
Figure A1.25: Mortuary ceremony, Aurukun, 2009 375
Figure A1.26: Estate 14 mapping party, Ti Tree area, 1990 375
Figure A1.27: Estate 14 Ti Tree Outstation, 1979 376
Figure A1.28: Estate 14 Francis Yunkaporta observes as Bob Massey
introduces Fred Chaney to spirits at Wanke-nhiyeng (Ti Tree
Lagoon), Two Girls and Moon Story Place, 1979 376
Figure A1.29: Estate 15 Rupert Gothachalkenin, Thaangkunh-nhiin
well, wet season base camp and danger place, 1977 377
Figure A1.30: Estate 15 Thaangkunh-nhiin, inner camp site, 1977 377
viii
LIST Of fIguReS
Figure A1.31: Estate 20 Mapping Kuu’eneng base camp,
Knox River area, 1978 378
Figure A1.32: Estate 20 Mangk-puypeng, Dog Story Place,
Knox River, 1977 379
Figure A1.33: Estate 20 Piithel, wet season base camp,
with Jack Sleep and others, 1977 379
Figure A1.34: Estate 23 site: Thanmel, all-season base camp with
cremation and fighting grounds close by, 1977 380
Figure A1.35: Estate 23 mapping site: Weten (Dish Yard),
all-season base camp, 1977 380
Figure A1.36: Ron Yunkaporta, middle Archer River, 1990 381
Figure A1.37: Estate 49 John Koowarta, Clan 39, Archer River,
1990 381
Figure A1.38: Inland forest mapping, Kendall River Holding, 1991 382
Figure A1.39: Aerial photo of Kendall River mouth with likely
hunting fires, 1957 383
Figure A1.40: Estate 21 Sydney Wolmby and others at Ngaateng
swamp, 2007 384
Figure A1.41: Estate 106 Empadha, South Kendall Outstation,
1978 384
Figure A1.42: James Kalkeeyorta, Clan 109, Aurukun, 1982 385
Figure A1.43: Estate 123 Pu’an Outstation at Thuuk River, 1978 385
Figure A1.44: MacNaught Ngallametta, Clan 97, Aurukun 1987 386
Figure A1.45: Mapping Koepenth swamp, dry season camp site,
Estate 3, with Paddy Yantumba, 1977 386
Figure A1.46: Ron Yunkaporta tape recording at the bora tree
where he was an initiand in 1970, Aurukun, 2006 387
Figure A1.47: Apelech ritual during mortuary ceremony,
Aurukun, 2006 388
Figure A1.48: Hula dancers, mortuary ceremony, Aurukun, 2009 388
Figure A1.49: Alan Wolmby (Clan & Estate 6) ‘baptising’
John von Sturmer near Aayk, 1971 389
ix
