The Koreng, also spelled Goreng, are an indigenous

Noongar The Noongar (, also spelt Noongah, Nyungar , Nyoongar, Nyoongah, Nyungah, Nyugah, and Yunga ) are Aboriginal Australian people who live in the South West, Western Australia, south-west corner of Western Australia, from Geraldton, Western Aus ...

people of south-west 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 ...

Language

''Koreng'' belonged to the Nyungic language family, and, specifically, the Koreng appear to have spoken the Wilmun dialect of

Nyungar The Noongar (, also spelt Noongah, Nyungar , Nyoongar, Nyoongah, Nyungah, Nyugah, and Yunga ) are Aboriginal Australian people who live in the south-west corner of Western Australia, from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the sou ...

Country

The total area of lands of which the Koreng are

traditional owners Native title is the set of rights, recognised by Australian law, held by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups or individuals to land that derive from their maintenance of their traditional laws and customs. These Aboriginal title rig ...

is from the Gairdner River to the Bremer Bay inland to Jerramungup, Pingrup and west to Tambellup and Gnowangerup. Their neighbouring tribes were the Wiilman to the north, the

Njakinjaki The Njakinjaki (Nyaki Nyaki) are an indigenous Noongar people of southern Western Australia, in the Wheatbelt and Great Southern regions. Country Njakinjaki traditional territory embraced some of land. They were east of Lake Grace, at Newdega ...

, northeast by north, the Mineng, directly south, the Wiilman to the north, the Pibelmen in the southwest, and the Kaneang on their western flank.

History of contact

Koreng lands began to be expropriated in 1859, at a time when white settlers estimated their numbers to be about 500. Within a little over two decades, these had been reduced to 200 (1880).

Burial rites

Koreng people were buried in oval sandpits, roughly deep, facing east. The knees are bent up and then bound, with the right hand forefinger and thumb, the latter's nail having previously been burnt off, tied in a ligature. The purpose of this nail burning and bondage is to ensure that the dead person will not dig his way out of his grave, and, returning, be capable of wielding his spears. The overburden of earth dug out to excavate the burial site must not be used to fill the grave, which is otherwise covered with bark, rushes and sticks. A fire is then kindled, his worldly goods, including his broken spears, are then laid nearby, and trees are scarred with rings to mark the site.

Mythology

A considerable amount of information concerning Koreng mythology was written down in the 1880s by Edith Hassell, wife of Albert Young Hassell. The manuscript was neglected until it was turned up by the visiting American anthropologist Daniel Sutherland Davidson in 1930. Davidson edited the material for the English journal ''Folklore'' over 1934–1935, and this remains an important resource for reconstructing Koreng traditions.

Native title

The Wagyl Kaip and Southern Noongar claim for native title was made in September 2006.

Alternative names

* Ko:rengi * Kuriny, Corine * Cororan * Bremer Bay tribe * Warangu, Warrangoo * Warranger, Warrangle * Kojonup * Stirling tribe * Mongup * Kokar (east) * Kaialiwongi (''kaiali'' = north, Minang people name for their language)

Some words

* ''mam'' (father) * ''ngangk'' (mother) * ''twurt'' (tame dog) * ''moakin'' (wild dog) * ''nyituing'' (white man) * ''nawp'' (baby)

Notes

Citations

Sources

* * * * * * * * * {{Aboriginal peoples of Western Australia Great Southern (Western Australia) Noongar