Noongar

Proven Enduring

Noongar means ‘a person of the south-west of Western Australia,’ or the name for the ‘original inhabitants of the south-west of Western Australia’ and we are one of the largest Aboriginal cultural blocks in Australia.
Noongar are made up of fourteen different language groups…Each of these language groups correlates with different geographic areas with ecological distinctions. Noongar have ownership of our own kaartdijin (knowledge) and culture. Not all Noongar cultural history and kaartdijin can be shared.
There is no evidence that there has been any other group than Noongar in the south-west. Archaeological evidence establishes that we Noongar have lived in the area and had possession of tracts of land on our country for at least 45,000 years.

*Source: https://www.noongarculture.org.au/noongar/

What are the beliefs and practices of my people regarding how a human being is meant to exist in relationship with a living earth?

Explore questions for each quote below by clicking the image.

Peoples Blog

“If you wanted to know anything (and) mother and father had no time to tell you… the Elders of our tribe used to have to tell you.”

Kayang Hazel Brown (keye-yahng hay-zull brown), storyteller

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“Our capacity to hunt, seek healing and communicate spiritually was dependent upon our practices of putting into and returning to our Country the spirit of our people.”

Cliff Humphries (klif hum-freez), language custodian

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“Our stories about ourselves and our people are ultimately entwined with stories about our Country and where it is that we, and our spirit, are said to belong.”

Arthur Slater (ahr-therr slay-terr), Chairperson, Ballardong Natural Resource Management Working Group

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“Our ethos is rooted in stewardship. We don't own the land, we belong to it.”

Dale Tilbrook (dayl till-brook), native food specialist & educator

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Proven Resilient

The Stolen Generations are the Noongar and other Aboriginal children who, over one and a half centuries, were taken away from their families and placed in institutions and missions…In the face of overwhelming odds, when our culture and way of life was under direct attack, Noongar families found ways of subverting the welfare officers and the missionaries and keeping our culture alive.
One of the most common ways of resisting removal was children running away from the places they were taken to. Despite very harsh punishments for ‘absconding’, such as whipping and imprisonment, Noongar children continued to run away repeatedly. The children in missions, especially the older children, found solidarity in developing a culture of rebellion and resistance.

*Source: https://www.noongarculture.org.au/stolen-generations/