THE GUISEDGAL INDIANS IN AUSTRAILIA

THE GUISEDGAL ARE IN A CLAN OF THE SHARAWAL TRIBE OF INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS AT BOTANY BAY AND KURNELL.

GUISEDGAL WERE CALLED FIRE CLAN AND HAD 20 - 50 FOLKS WHO LIVED IN AMONGST THEMSELVES. THEY HAD STRONG TIES TO LAND AND SACRED SITES. THEY HAD NO WRITTEN LANGUAGE. EARLY ON THEY LIVED WITHOUT CLOTHING. THEY HAD A CHAIR, A SASH IN WHICH THEY CARRIED TOOLS. THEY SOMETIMES WORE A PASSENGER POSSUM SKIN COAT IN WINTER. THEY PUT RESIN IN THEIR HAIR TO GIVE IT A MOP LIKE APPEARANCE. THEY MADE FUR COATS OF ANIMAL HIDES. TOOL MAKERS CHOSE TO MAKE GRIND AXES CLOSE TO POOLS, AS A LUBRICANT FOR GRINDING AND SHARPENING. THEY USED AN IGNEOUS
OR METAMORPHIC ROCK. ONLY ONE OF THE ENDS WAS GROUND TO A BLADE. AXE GRINDING BLADES AREA DATED TO 3000 B.P.

THESE ABORIGINALS ARE THE GUARDIANS OF THE SACRED WHITE CLAY PITS IN THEIR TERRITORY. MEMBERS WALKED 1000 MILES TO COLLECT CLAY. IT WAS CONSIDERED SACRED. THEY MADE WHITE PAINT FROM CLAY. COLOR WAS ADDED TO THE CLAY USING BERRIES THAT MADE A COLORED PAINT. THE CLAY WAS USED AS AN ANTACID OR MEDICINE. THEY PAINTED THEMSELVES FOR CEREMONIES. THEY ATE THE CLAY WITH BERRIES AS A SUPPLEMENTS.

CAVES HAD BEAUTIFUL AND COLORFUL PICTOGRAPHS THAT WERE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THEIR LIFE. THEY LIVED IN CAVES OR OVERHANGING SITES. IN 1789 MANY MORE VICTIMS OF SMALLPOX. SOME CAVES WERE USED AS BURIAL SITES. DURING SOME HEAVY RAIN STORMS THE PEOPLE WENT TO CAVES AND SOME CAVED IN TRAPPING THE PEOPLE. THE WALLS OF MOST CAVES WERE ADORNED WITH ANCIENT PAINTINGS AND SOME OF THEM WERE DESTROYED. THEY BUILT FIRES THERE AND THEY HAVE BEEN TEST EXCAVATED.

THE GUISALGAL HAD MUCH FISH. MEN AND WOMEN FISHED IN CANOES IN RIVERS AND THE OCEAN. THEY MADE HOOKS FROM SHELLS AND CAUGHT WATERFOWL. THEY COLLECT EDIBLE AND MEDICINAL PLANTS, BIRD EGGS, POSSUMS AND GOANNAS WERE LIKE STAPLE. EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD ABUNDANT RESOURCES THEY TOOK ONLY WHAT THEY COULD IMMEDIATELY USE THESE FOLKS WERE LESS NOMADIC AUSTRALIAN'S THAN THOSE NATIVES OF THE OUTBACK IN AUSTRALIA.

CAPTAIN JAME COOK LANDED NEAR BOTANY BAY IN 1770. THE ABORIGINES HAD NOT SEEN ANY WHITE FOLKS BEFORE THIS AND THEY YELLED DEMONSTRATED SHOWING SIGNS OF AGGRESSION AND WEAPONS, AFTER 10 MINUTES THERE WAS AN EXCHANGE OF MUSKET FIRE AND SPEARS. ONE SHOT WOUNDED AN ABORIGINE. THEY SHOT SPEARS AND WERE INEFFECTIVE AGAINST THE GUNS OF THE BRITISH. THEY FINALLY CAME ASHORE AND TRIED WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY TO MAKE CONTACT.

BUT THEY HAD NO SUCCESS AND THE ABORIGINES AVOIDED THEM. THEY IGNORED THE STRANGERS AND THEY CAUGHT FISH ON THE SHORE. THEY COULD WATCH HIS CREW WITH CAUTION. THE LOCALS DECIDED TO LET COOK'S FOLKS USE THEIR SMALL AREA WITHOUT HOSTILITY.

AFTER RETURNING TO ENGLAND THAT YEAR THEY BROUGHT SOME PLANTS AND ANIMALS AND CULTURAL ARTIFACTS (50 ABORIGINES SPEARS) FROM THE GUIJAGEL. ARCHAEOLOGISTS SAY THE SPEARS ARE PRICELESS AS THEY ARE THE FEW ARTIFACTS FROM COOK'S IST VOYAGE. THEY ARE AT CAMBRIDGE.

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