The Yidinji People 

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Bilan gudan njundu Yidin Yabanday, Yidi Nalan nudjun: Welcome to Yidinji Country, on behalf of the Yidinji Elders

The Yidinji Yabanday (tribal land boundary) covered a large area from the Barron River in the north to the Russell River in the south, east to the Murray Prior Range and west to Tolga. The Yidinji people had 8 clans who were custodians of the tribe’s estate.

Yidinji Tribe

 

The Yidinji Tribe was one of the largest tribes of the Cairns area. The Yidi Bama (people) speak Yidin/Yidiny. There are two dialects of Yidiny: the Coastal dialect and the Tableland dialect.

Many tribes fought for their land and rights in order to bring about justice and respect for their people. Many Indigenous Australians still live and contribute as their ancestors did in the past.

In 1898, a treaty between the Yidinji people and King’s Counsel agreed that attacks would stop by both parties and that the governor of the day issued free food and blankets to the Yidinji people for as long as long as people of the Commonwealth were to stay in their country.

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                                            Shields of a Nation: Yidinji - fighting shields

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Each clan’s shield is unique to the Yidinji tribe, and the north Queensland Aboriginal tribes. The Yidinji people had 3 types of shields: the clan shields, fighting shields and the ceremonial shields (which are only for ceremonial purposes).

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                                                                      Gimuy-walubarra Yidi

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(pronounced) ghee-moy-wah-lu-burra

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The Gimuy-walubarra yidi are the traditional custodians of the Cairns and surrounding district. Gimuy is the traditional place name for the area Cairns City now occupies. Gimuy being the Yidiny name of the slippery blue fig (ficus albipila) that grew in large number in this area. Walu being the Yidiny name for side of the hill and barra meaning people belonging to. The Gimuy-Walubarra clan estate can be seen on adjacent map. The design featured on the shield is that of the Australian scorpion a totem of the Gimuy Yidi. The design depicts the grub stage (djumbun), shown by the white areas on the shield.The shield featured is the identical shield of that which is held by King Yie-Nie who is the ancestor of the Gimuy-Walubarra yidi people.

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                                                                       Wadjanbarra Yidi

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(pronounced) Wah-Gin-burra

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The wadjanbarra Yidi are the traditional custodians of the low lying forest area between the mountains on the Atherton tablelands. The name wadjan means forest and barra people belonging to, as spoken in the Yidiny language. The Wadjanbarra were the protectors of the rainforest and spoke the tableland dialect of Yidiny, they also spoke the coastal dialect as they travelled to the coast during winter months by the Yidi trails which carved its way down the coast from Giri (Kiari) through to Bunda Walpa Gindajay (Lambs Head) and Bunda Gindajay (Lambs Range) down the coast to Girriwanday (Whiterock). The design on the shield depicts the moth stage of the djumbun (grub) as shown by the white areas on the shield.

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                                                                         Bundabarra Yidi

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(pronounced) Boon-dah-burra

Bunda means hill or mountain, and barra means people belonging to in the Yidiny language hence this clan group was known as the people of the mountains. They were the traditional custodians of the Mountains on the tableland and traditionally occupied the tablelands area around Yungabarra (early settlers’ pronunciation bundabarra/ yungabarra). The Bundabarra was surrounded by freshwater and mountains the significance of water and mountains as such is signified by the design on the shield, the yellow area in the centre signified the water bag which were traditionally made from bark and hollow tree trunks sealed with the native bees wax, the white being the water and the mountains depicted in yellow on the top and bottom of the shield.

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                                                                            Gulgibarra Yidi

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(pronounced) Gool-gey-burra

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Gulgi is the Yidiny word for sand hence this clan group was known as the sand or seaside people. They were the traditional custodians of the area on the southern side of the Mulgrave river,the sandy river banks which flowed down to the sea at the mouth of the Mulgrave and were neighbours to the mandigalpi Yidi. The design on the shield is wangal the boomerang design.The yidi had what was known as storytime unlike other Aboriginal Tribes which had dreamtime. In storytime Gulibunjay threw his son Wangal the boomerang far off into the sea.Then he picked up his other son, Yirrgaybalan, and followed the path left by Wangal. The boomerang (wangal) entered the waters of what is called today "Trinity Inlet and continued its flight landwards striking various trees and rocks. The significance of those places Wangal struck is that they still retain their Aboriginal (Yidiny) place names from this story.Wangal came to rest at what is today known as the Cairns esplanade his brother Yirrgaybalan is by his side on the other side of the Barron river what’s is today known has Reddin Island and Gulibunjay, is still there at the mouth of the Mulgrave River.

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                                                                            Bindabarra Yidi

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(Pronounced) won-new-ri-binda-bu

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The wujnur or Bindabarra were the waterfall people their home being surrounded by waterfalls such as Joshepine Falls, Fishery Falls and their main camp being at Binda or today known as Babinda. (Binda meaning waterfall in the yidiny language and barra meaning belonging to.)

The Bindabarra yidi home is surrounded by the lush rainforest. The Babinda area is well known for the Babinda Boulders, a well-known swimming hole - but beware, as many young men’s lives have been taken. The Yidiny story tells of a young lady from the Bindabarra clan who was promised to another man by an arranged marriage but she fell in love with another young man from the nearby tribe. She was caught in liaison with the young warrior but as the elders tried to bring her back she threw herself into the raging torrents of the Babinda boulders and today her spirit still remains and if any young men who are strangers to this area walks by she calls them into the river with her. The Bindabarra along with their neighbours the Gulgibarra yidi who were also known as the Bellenden Ker blacks, an Anglican mission was establish here but later moved to Yarrabah. The design on the shield represents the mountains and waterfalls and also the scorpion Djumbun.

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                                                                             Mandigalpi Yidi

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(pronounced) Mun-dig-ell-pie)

The mandigalpi or mandiguljarabay were the warrior clan of the Yidin people mandi – meaning hands and galpi or guljarabay – meaning fighting. The mandigalpi are the custodians of the lands on the easternside of the inlet to the Murray prior range and down to the mouth of the Mulgrave and Russel river (Badabadoo). The mandigalpi yidi helped the Kunganji when the Mamu tribe came to steal their women and to try and extend their boundaries a fight took place and the mandigalpi still protect that area ever since this fight took place hundreds of years before whiteman arrived. The mandigalpi shield depicts a sacred ceremony which is performed by their clan with other clans and tribal groups invited to attend the ritual. The story is about the turle and how one of the smaller turtles became the biggest and strongest in the ocean, the colours on the shield are the traditional colours. The mandigalpi were also refered to as the Mulgrave river tribe. The mandigalpi also share the boomerang story as gulibunjay lays in ther clan estate Gulibunjay was the father of wangal the boomerang.

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                                                                               Badjabarra Yidi

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(pronounced) Bud-jar-Burra

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The badjabarra were the traitional custodians of the grass plains on the tableland slopes of the mountains of Mt Bellenden Kerr, badja meaning long grass and barra meaning people belonging to. The badja barra were the neighbours of the mamu and Nadjan tribe also the neighbours of the Mallanbarra and Bindabarra yidin people, they spoke Yidiny, nadjon and djirribal. The badjabarra shield depicts the 'jumbun' at the grub stage 'minderi' the tree grub.

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                                                                               Mallanbarra Yidi

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(pronounced) Mul-lun-burra

The Mallanbarra were known as the flat rock/stoney river people, mallan meaning flat rock or stoney barra meaning people belonging to, or the people of the Mulgrave River. The mallanbarra clan estate extended from Gordonvale following the Mulgrave and the little Mulgrave river. They had the best of both worlds as their clan area ran from the coast and west to the Atherton tablelands with their neighbours the Bundabarra Yidin people the Ngadjun-ji people and the badjabarra yidin. The mallanbarra have many ceremonial grounds of which ceremonies were held between the many Yidiny clans and other tribal groups in the area. The design on the shield signifies the water bag (dogobil pronounced do-goo-bill) and the colours represent the ochar of the area. The Mallanbarra along with the other coastal clans the mandiigalpi and the gulgibarra were known by Europeans as the Mulgrave river blacks which they feared when trying to establish the area which is now known as Gordonvale.

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