ARRERNTE TRIBAL GROUP At the time of European contact there were about 126 "tribal" groups having all or most of their territories in the Northern Territory, with an estimated total population of 35,000. These people were hunter-gatherers who lived in small family groups of 15, 30, called bands. Bands were the basic residential and economic unit. Groups of bands formed larger social units that anthropologists have called "communities", "tribes", or "culture blocs", depending on whether a political, linguistic or religious perspective is taken. People within such social networks frequently co-operated to exploit abundant resources during good seasons or to share scarce resources during drought or flood. The links between groups were based on kinship and marriage ties, common ceremonial affiliation and shared ownership of, or responsibility for, sacred sites and objects. Click on image to enlarge (27KB) The geographic distribution, density and mobility of the Aboriginal population were closely related to the availability or water, food and other resources. Generally, the size of the bands did not vary as much as the extent of the tract of land (called the range) needed by each group for its survival. In the desert regions of the Centre population densities as low as one person per 100 sq km reflected Aboriginal adaptation to a far harsher environment. The Walpiri, for example, inhabited an area of nearly 40 000 sq km, while the Wangkanguru even successfully adapted to the Simpson Desert. In arid regions large territories allowed groups to survive by foraging in a seasonal and systematic manner over vast areas. OUR FAMILY SYSTEM / SKIN NAMES In our family, or kinship systems, we recognise our relations "by blood" and by marriage as in other societies. We also regard ourselves as being related (although not biologically or by marriage) to all the people within our cultural or linguistic region. Our kinship system group various categories of relations together as a sort of "mental map" so we know who we are related to , and how we should behave towards each other. The whole cultural group may be divided into two, four, six or eight sections. Eastern and Central Arrernte Skin Names North-Eastern and Eastern Arrertne Skin Names Arrertne Skin Names Chart ARRERNTE LANGUAGE The Arrernte region is large and traditionally, there are many different family areas within it, each with their own dialect. Language is strongly connected with family membership and the relationships to land and Dreamings that go with this. Identifying as a speaker of a particular language or dialect can be very important for Arrernte people in a way that goes beyond just the actual language. It is a way of expressing membership in a particular family, or association to particular country. The differences between dialects, even when they are only small differences, are often very significant to speakers. The coming together of speakers of different dialects of Arrernte in Alice Springs, in government and mission settlements, and on cattle stations, has also resulted in some confusion about the traditional dialect distinctions within the area. There have been quite large changes in some dialects form older generations to younger, and there are many words that only the oldest speakers now know. Arrernte people still know the different family areas, but it is sometimes less clear which ones a particular word belongs in. Rather than trying to identify exactly which family dialect a word belongs to in this dictionary, we identify the part of the Eastern and Central Arrernte region where is from using the following codes : View regional map (163KB) showing language areas of Central Australia From time immemorial - that is, as far back as traditions go - the boundaries of the tribes have been where they are now fixed. Within them their ancestors roamed about, hunting and performing their ceremonies just as their living descendants do at the present day. There has never apparently been the least attempt made by one tribe to encroach upon the territory of another. Arrernte Index CULTURE | DIDGERIDOO | GALLERY | EMAIL US | HOME PAGE | © Aboriginal Australia Pty Ltd