The Binigura people, these days usually spelt Pinikura, are an
Aboriginal Australian
Aboriginal Australians are the various indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and many of its islands, excluding the ethnically distinct people of the Torres Strait Islands.
Humans first migrated to Australia 50,000 to 65,000 year ...
people of the
Pilbara region of
Western Australia
Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
.
Country
The Binigura in
Norman Tindale
Norman Barnett Tindale AO (12 October 1900 – 19 November 1993) was an Australian anthropologist, archaeologist, entomologist and ethnologist. He is best remembered for his work mapping the various tribal groupings of Aboriginal Australians ...
's calculation, held sway over some of tribal land, centred on the
Ashburton River from
Mount Tom Price to
Kooline. Their northern boundary lay around the areas of Mount Amy, Urandy, and the start of the Duck Creek uplands. Their eastern confine is traced to the
lower headwaters of the Hardey River, on the western edges of
Ashburton Downs.
Native title
The
Puutu Kunti Kurrama
The Kurrama people, also known as the Puutu Kunti Kurrama people, are an Aboriginal Australian people from the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
The Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura peoples, although of different language groups, are repres ...
and Pinikura, who are two separate but related peoples, lodged a joint claim for recognition for each of their own countries as well as a shared area. Their rights to lands and waters covering around of an area between
Onslow and
Tom Price (though not reaching either place),
map
were recognised on 2 December 2015, in the ''#1 and #2 v State of Western Australia'' decision. The PKKP Aboriginal Corporation is the representative body administering the lands for both peoples.
Language
The Binigura/Pinikura language is a close relative of the
Thalanyji language
Thalanyji (also spelt Dhalandji, Thalanyji, and other variations) and Binigura/Pinikura (also spelt Pinigura, Binnigoora, and other variations) are two closely related languages from the Pilbara region of Western Australia. They are part of the ...
.
Social organisation
Although each group is distinct, the Kurruma and Pinikura peoples observe common
laws
Law is a set of rules that are created and are law enforcement, enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a Socia ...
and customs, and share and protect much of the same land and resources.
Juukan Gorge destruction
The Pinikura people, in alliance with the Puutu Kunti Kurrama
The Kurrama people, also known as the Puutu Kunti Kurrama people, are an Aboriginal Australian people from the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
The Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura peoples, although of different language groups, are repres ...
in a group abbreviated as PKKP, were distressed by the destruction of a sacred and heritage site in the form of a cave in Juukan Gorge
Juukan Gorge is a gorge in the Hamersley Range in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, about from Tom Price, Western Australia, Tom Price. It was named by the daughter of Puutu Kunti Kurrama man Juukan, also known as Tommy Ashburton, who w ...
by mining giant Rio Tinto in May 2020.
Alternative names
Other variants of the name as supplied by Tindale are:
Notes
Citations
Sources
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External links
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{{authority control
Aboriginal peoples of Western Australia
Pilbara