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THE LANGUAGE ANDITS SPEAKERS TheBurarraandGurwiartpapeopleareAustralianAborigineswhose homelandsareintheBlythandCadellRiverregions.Theynumber approximately600;makingupthepredominantpartoftheBurarraLanguage Family2 beingalsogeographicallycentralandspeakingthreeverydose , dialects Linguisticallythesedialectsareidentifiedbytheirpronunciationsofthe termfor'thatonenearyou',either^n-fwr^gwn^narda,orgun-narfpavTliefirst twodialectgroupsareknownbytheirregionaltribenames:Ari^barraatthe 'base' (mouth)oftheBlythRiver,locatedonthewestside,andMartayonthe easternsideoftheBlythRiver.TheGun-nartpadialectisspokenbythe Mu-golarraregionaltribe(alsoknownasMukarli)intheCadellRiverregion. TheAn-barraandMartaypeoplewerefirstcalledBurarrabytheireastern neighbours;theyrefertotteirdialectsjointlyasGu-jingarliya 'itwithtongue'. TheGun-nartpapeoplerefertotheirx>wndialectasGu~jarlabiya 'itmovesalong'. Thesethreeregionaltribes,withtheirttireeclosedialects,ortwo^dependingon perspective,areproudoftheirseparateidentities,butcloselysupportone anotherinculturalandsocialinteraction,andparticipatetogetherintheBparra BilingualEducationProgrambasedatManingridaSchool. In1957,withtheestablishmentofManingridaSettlementonGunabidji landatthemouthoftheLiverpoolRiver,peoplefromalltheneighbouringtribes cametoenjoythebenefitsoffoodrations,amarketforhandcrafts,medicalhelp etc.—andtheBurarraandGun-nartpapeoplecameinlargenumbers.Theywere thelanguagemajorityand,toacertainextent,Burarrabecamethelinguafranca. Therewereinevitableproblemsinthisnewlife.Now,insteadofsmall familyclanslivingintheirindividualhomelands,wholetribes,anddiverse tribes,livedsidebysideinasemi-circlerangingaroundManingrida.Therewere newopportunitiesfortransgressionoftriballawsandresultingfeuds.Easyfood couldreplacethedignityofhuntingandfoodgathering.Theauthorityand responsibilityforthechildrenwassoonsharedwiththeschool,andnighttime activitiessuchasmoviesandlaterthe 'twisf,etc.,wereprovidedbythe Europeans,withtheeffectofdispersingthefamilycampfiregroup.Butduring thistime,theseasonalreturntohomelandsforhuntingandceremonies remainedastrengthtothepeoples. In1964,oneoftheGun-nartpaleaders,NymMarnalpuy,togetherwith JimmyGerlgerl,tookmyhusband,DaveGlasgow,tohishomeland,Gochan Jiny-jirra,ontheCadellRiver.Theysawthatithadallthequalitiesformakinga producegardensimilartothegardensatManingrida.Andin1966,the Gun-nartpapeoplemade aplan,enlistedmyhusband'shelpinlocatingaboat tobuy,andtookoutsweetpotatocuttingsandcoconutstoplant.Fromthere, 'CadellGardens' grew,receivedaloanfromtheManingridaProgress Association,whosoldtheproduceinitsshop;hadinitsemployfirstBobCollins (wholaterbecameapolitician),andlater ViangaVeikosa fromTonga.Todaythe ^etwootherdialectsbelongingtotheBurarraLanguageFamilyareGurrgonior Gun-gurrgonitothewest,ontheeasternsideoftheTomkinsonRiver,andYanyangu,spokenby theMaringaRegionalTribetotheeast,ontheeasternsideofCapeStewart.Theseareprefixing dialects,characteristicoftheBurarraLanguageFamily,butthereisamuchgreaterdifference betweenthemandtheBurarra-Gun-nartpadialects. Glasgow, Kathleen. 1994. Burarra-Gun-Nartpa Dictionarywith English Finder's List. Darwin: Summer Institute of Linguistics. CadellGardensarebacktoclanproportions,thepeoplestilltakingprideinthem andmaintainingthemasCommunityDevelopmentEmploymentProgram workers.TheGun-nartpapeoplewerethefirstintheareatore-settletheir homelandinanewway. Intheearly1970s,whencontemporaryAboriginalissuesheavilyinvolved thestruggleforlandrights,manyBurarrapeoplebegantomovebacktoresettle theirhomelands,andasupportsystemwasdevelopedtoservicesuch communitiesfromManingrida:theManingridaProgressAssociation,providing 'tuckerruns';the BawinangaHomelandsCentre(largelythevisionof DaveBond)providingradiocontact,vehiclemaintenance,boresandtanksfor watersupply,andhousing,aswellasacontinuingmarketforhandcrafts;and ManingridaSchoolassistingAboriginalteachers,inorderthatthechildrencould haveschoolintheirhomelands.Since 1980,GochanJiny-jirrahashaditsown schoolundertheNorthernTerritoryDepartmentofEducation. Burarraand Gun-nartpahomelandcommunitieswhichareresettledanddevelopedtoday include:GochanJiny-jirraandJi-barlbarl(Gun-nartpaTribe);Ji-bena(An-barra Tribe);andYilan,Ji-marda,Gu-mugumuk,Ji-mulawa,MewirnbaandWurdeja A (MartayTribe). fairnumberofBurarraandGun-nartpapeoplestillliveat ManingridaandsomeliveinDarwin,buttheymovebackandforth,toandfrom theirhomelands. 134°30'E Glasgow, Kathleen. 1994. Burarra-Gun-Nartpa Dictionarywith English Finder's List. Darwin: Summer Institute of Linguistics. 8