- Kuku Yulanji
The Kuku Yulanji is an Indigenous Australian group originating from the
rainforest regions ofFar North Queensland . They are also known as the "Rainforest People". Kuku Yulanji also lived incoastal andriverine regions with territory from Port Douglas in the south,Cooktown in the north,Chillagoe in the west. It is thought that there were three to five tribes of Kuku Yulanji prior to European settlement.urvival
Survival was dependent on exploitation of seasonal variation. It is believed that the tribe lived in the rainforest region no later than 4,000 years ago. It is known that they had high population density, lived in semi-permanent
hut s, prepared and ate toxic species from the rainforest and produced and used distinct weaponry such as woodenshield s andsword s. They existed in a complex and social hunter-gatherer type society. They are defined from other groups by single language.They saw the landscape as humanised describing it human terms and seeing spirits within landscape features. They defined seasonal variations into five seasons.
History
1877 saw contact between European settlers and Kuku Yulanji through the discovery of gold, mineral exploration and the development of a coastal road. Contact between the groups was violent. By 1890, the tribe was decimated. From 1897 to the 1960s, the Kuku Yulanji like other Aboriginal tribes faced the Government's paternalistic legislation that allowed for Aboriginals to be placed under "protection" in attempt to preserve their culture. The Kuku Yulanji began concentrating around the Mossman Gorge Reserve around the time of
World War II and the Daintree people were moved to the northern bank of theDaintree River . They were further subjected to more relocations by the government.Their culture fortunately has survived.
Other spelling variations of Kuku Yulanji are: Kuku Yulangi, Gugu Yulanji or Kuku Yalaniji
External links
* [http://www.accomportdouglas.com.au/aboriginal.htm/ Dr Chris Anderson - Some information on Kuku Yulanji]
* [http://www.tnq.org.au/marketing/troptalk/troptalk33.html#4/ Kuku Yulanji]
* [http://www.yalanji.com.au/ Kuku Yulanji]
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