Indigenous Information

We respectfully acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land upon which the University stands

13 February 2008: The Prime Minister's Apology

Welcome to Country

Yugga danya Ngawanya
(I am a Man of the Anaiwan people.)
Roonyahra tanya tampida Ngawanya
(This is the ancestral land of the Ngawanya.)
Ootila tanya yoonyarah
(I welcome you to this land.)

^{This is the 'Welcome to Country' given by Steve Widders, a descendant of the original custodians of the land, the Ngawanya aka Ainawan* people, at the NAIDOC Aboriginal Flag Raising Ceremony at Booloominbah, 9 July 2007. (*Anaiwan is the English pronunciation of Ngawanya. There are approximately 300 words in the local Anaiwan dialect, many having been lost or having no known translation.)}

The traditional custodians

At the University of New England graduation ceremonies, the Vice-Chancellor acknowledges firstly the Anaiwan then the names of neighbouring tribes; the Dhunghutti to the south-east, the Gumbaingerri to the north-east, and the Kamilaroi to the west.

Many local Aboriginal residents have claim to at least one but as many as all these groups. There is much evidence and research that documents the Anaiwan as the original inhabitants and acknowledges the other groups as being associated with and having extensive interaction with the land on which Armidale was settled.

Tribal boundaries change with the physical landscape, hence Anaiwan is on the Tablelands, and Dhunghutti is on the eastern side of the Pt Lookout escarpment down to the coast at Kempsey north of the Macleay River. Gumbaingerri is a coastal tribe whose lands come inland south of Grafton and east around Guyra and Ebor. The Kamilaroi are a plains group west of the Gwydir River and the Great Divide.

Tamworth is in Kamilaroi country which ends at the top of the Moonbis, and where Anaiwan begins. Uralla, Bundarra and places such as Hillgrove, Wollomombi, Rockvale, Tilbuster, Black Mountain, Dumaresq, Tingha, Inverell and all places within that boundary are Anaiwan country.

Aboriginal people looked after the land and did not claim exclusive ownership by building fences or other barriers. They were custodians. Their responsibility and boundaries changed with the physical landscape. As well as the land, the custodians were responsible for such things as the animals, waterways, flora, ceremonial grounds, food supplies, plants and vegetation which contained medicinal qualities.

^{Information from Steve Widders, Community Liaison Officer, Armidale-Dumaresq Council.
Email: swidders@armidale.nsw.gov.au}

Aboriginal Australia Map

	National Sorry Day 26 May For the mothers and children of the Stolen Generations The commemorative 'silk' flower has been created as a national emblem of the Stolen Generations. This flower was adopted because it is found widely across Australia and it is a survivor. Its colour denotes compassion and spiritual healing. Extract from the Reconciliation Sorry FAQs web page ^{[For information on how to obtain these commemorative flower pins see the Kimberley Stolen Generation web site]}
Reconciliation Week 27 May — 3 June This week commemorates three important dates 26 May — Sorry Day 27 May — anniversary of the 1967 Referendum 3 June — the Mabo decision ^{[For further information please visit http://www.reconciliation.org.au/home/reconciliation-resources/nrw-resources]}
	Myall Creek Massacre Commemoration 10 June (to be celebrated on 7 June 2008) On June 10, 1838, the infamous Myall Creek Massacre took place at Myall Creek Station where twenty eight Aboriginal men, women and children were massacred and their bodies burned. The ensuing court case marked the first time in Australian history that white men were tried for crimes against Aborigines. Seven men were hanged as a result. ^{[For further information please visit the Myall Creek links below.]}
NAIDOC Week 5 – 12 July 2009 NAIDOC celebrates the survival of Indigenous culture and the Indigenous contribution to modern Australia. All Australians are encouraged to participate in NAIDOC Week activities. The theme for NAIDOC Week in 2009 is Honouring our Elders, Nurturing our Youth. The theme encourages our communities to acknowledge the status of our Elders as leaders and role models for our youth. ^{[For further information please visit the NAIDOC link below.]}