YOLNGU PEOPLE IN AUSTRALIA

THE YOLNGU PEOPLE LIVED NORTHEAST OF AMHEIM LAND. THE YONGU MEANS PERSON IN THEIR LANGUAGES. THEIR COMPLETE CRAFT SYSTEM OF YOLNGU KNOWN AS MADEYN MADEYN EMBODIES THE RIGHT OF THE OWNERS OF THE LAW OR CITIZENS. THEY HAVE THE RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THIS EMBODYMENT OF LAW. IT INCLUDES HOLY RESTRICTED PLACES THAT ARE USED IN EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF LAW. IT INCLUDES HOLY RESTRICTED PLACES THAT ARE USED IN EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF LAW. THE LAW COVERS OWNERSHIP OF LAND, WATERS AND RESOURCES. IT REGULATES AND CONTROLS PRODUCTION OF TRADE, THE MORAL, SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS LAW FOR CONSERVING AND FARMING FAUNA AND FLORA AND ACQUATIC LIFE. IF PEOPLE LIVE OUT THEIR LIFE ACCORDING TO MADEYIN, IT IS A CIVILIZED WAY OF LIFE TO LIVE. IT IS PEACEFUL AND FREE OF HOSTIITIES. YOLNGU ARE CONNECTED BY COMPLEX KINSHIP SYSTEM THAT GOVERNS GOVERNMENT PROJECTS. OF YOLNGU LIFE WITH CEREMONY AND MARRIAGE RULES. THEIR LIFE HAS TWO MOIETIES. EACH MOIETY IS REPRESENTED BY PEOPLE OF A DIFFERENT GROUP. EACH HAVE THEIR OWN LAND, LANGUAGES, TOTEMS AND PHILOSOPHIES. THEY BELIEVE THAT EVERY FISH, STONE, RIVER ETC. BELONGS TO ONE OR THE OTHER MOIETY.

THEY ALSO HAVE AVOIDANCE RELATIONSHIPS. TWO AVOIDANCE RLATIONSHIPS ARE : SON-IN-LAW;BROTHER-SISTER RELATIONSHIPS. PEOPLE ARE AVOIDED BUT RESPECTED. THERE ARE OTHER AVOIDANCE RELATIONSHIPS. THE YOLNGU SPEK A DOZEN DIALECTS OF A LANGUAGE GROUP. THEY HAVE 6 SEASONS.

THEY HAD GOOD TRADE RELATIONSHIPS WITH MOCCASIN FISHERMEN FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED YEARS. THE MOCASSIN RESPECTED THE LAND AS YOLNGU LAND. THEY AVOIDED CONSTACT WITH YOLNUGU WOMEN. THEY MADE ANNUAL VISITS TREPING, AND PEARLS AND EXCHANGED KNIVES, CANOES, TBACCO, AND PIPES.

THEIR FOLKLORE HAS PRESERVED ACCOUNTS OF THE BAJANI PEOPLE WHO APPEAR TO BE DISTINCT FROM THE MACASSASANS. THEY HAVE BEEN THOUGHT OF AS A GROUP OF VISITORS TO AUSTRALIA WHO VISITED ARENHEM LAND BEFORE THE MACASSANS, A MYTHOLOGICAL CHARACTER OF EXPERIENCES OF YOLNGU.

BY 1906 THEY DID NOT GET A PERMIT TO HARVEST TREPANG THEY HAD ESTABLISHED TRADE ROUTES WITH AUSTRALIA AND OTHER COUNNTRIES. SOME MEN WERE MESSENGERS AND WALKED SEVERAL HUNDRED KILOMETERS IN THEIR WORK.

BY THE 16TH CENTURY THEY WERE VISITED BY EUROPEANS. BY LATE 19TH CENTURY A BATTLE BETWEEN WHITE AUSTRALIANS AND THE YOLNGU FOR CATTLE GRAZING ERUPTED. THE ABORIGINES WERE WARLIKE AND WANTED TO DEFEND THEIR SHORE LINE FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS.

THE JAPANESE WERE KEPT AWAY FROM THIS PART OF AUSTRALIA, BY THE YOLUNGU FIERCE WARRIORS AND GOVERNMENT. THEY WERE NOTED FOR THEIR ARTWORK OF CROSSHATCHING ON BARK. ARTISTS DAVID MALENGE ARE WELL KNOWN FOR THEIR ARTWORK. THE GOVERNMENT USED HIS ARTWORK WITHOUT PERMISSION OR APPROVAL. THEY MADE ATTEMPTS TO REMOVE DAVID MALENGE.

THEY MAKE BEAUTIFUL HOLLOW LOGS FOR SPIRITUAL PRACTICES AND ARE IMPORTANT PIECES. THE YOLUNGE ARE WEAVERS AND USE PANDASES LEAVES FOR BASKETS. THEY MAKE SEED BEADS. THEY MAKE DIDGERADOO'S AS WELL. THEY HAVE STRICT RULES AROUND WHO CAN PLAY THIS INSTRUMENT.

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