GUNDHMARA IN AUSTRAILIA.

THESE FOLKS ARE AN INDIGENOUS GROUP IN WESTERN VICTORIA. THEIR NEIGHBORS TO THE WEST ARE THE BUNDIG, TO THE NORTH ARE THE JARDWADIALI AND DJABBS WURUNG PEOPLE.

THOSE PEOPLE WERE RIVER AND LAKE PEOPLE. THEIR RIVER SYSTEMS WERE IMPORTANT SYSTEMS ECONOMICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY. THEY HAD A SOPHISTICATED SYSTEM OF AQUACULTURE AND FARMING AS WELL AS STONE DWELLINGS. THEY BUILT STONE DAMS TO HOLD WATER IN THESE CHANNELS. THEY GROW SHORT EELS AND FISH THEY BUILT CHANNELS LINKING WETLANDS. THESE CHANNELS CONTAINED WEIRS OF WOVEN BLANKETS TO HARVEST THE EELS.

IN 1833 THE WHALERS CLASHED WITH THE GUNDHMARA AND NEIGHBORS AT PORTLAND BEACH. THERE WAS A DISPUTE OF A BEACHED WHALE, THE GUNDJI THREW SPEARS AND WHALERS FIRED GUNS. APPARENTLY MANY WERE KILLED WITH ONLY 2 ABORIGINES SURVIVING. AGAIN IN THE MIDDLE 19TH CENTURY WITH EUROPEANS. OVER 20 YEARS THE EUMERELLA WAR TOOK PLACE AND THE REMAINS OF PEOPLE INVOLVED ARE AT DUNN MAAR.

IN LATE 1800'S GUNDITJ WAS MOVED TO THE FRANKLINHAM ABORIGINAL STATION, A MISSION. IN 1987 THE ABORIGINES GOT 1130 ACRES OF FOREST TRUST. THE TITLE CAN BE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER INDIGENOUS LAND TRUST. IT PREVENTS MINING . IN 1993 THE GUNDITJ MARA BOUT THE DEEN MAAR AND PUT IT INTO AN INDIGENOUS PROTECTED ARE. THEY FOUGHT FIERCELY FOR RECOGNITION FOR RECOGNITION OF TRADITIONAL OWNERS RIGHTS. BY 2007 THEY RECEIVED FORMAL REGONITION THROUGH AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS ABORIGINAL LAND. THE GUNDITJ MARA ARE OWNERS OF 140,000 HECTARES RECOGNIZED BY FEDERAL COURT. THEIR PROPERTIES.FEATURE THEIR AQUA SYSTEM OF PERMANENT SETTLEMENT.


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