‘Traditional Aboriginal His coln Even though this topic talks about the Barngarla people in Port Lincoln, Barngarla country stretches from Port Lincoln out to Wirrulla, up to Andamooka, down to Port Augusta and back to Port Lincoln again. Although there are no speakers of the Bangarla language alive today, it is written down and is able to accessed for future generations to learn to speak it. By the end of this topic, students will be able to; = identify the two traditional Aboriginal groups from the Port Lincoln region. * describe and record their lifestyle, including what they ate, how they lived, the tools they used and what they wore. Background Information: “There are two very distinet groups of traditional Aboriginal people in the Port Lincoln region, ‘The Barngarla and the Nauo people continue to live here today. In times past the Barngarla people lived mainly around the Big Swamp area or where they could find fresh water. They were a transient people who travelled widely on their country, moving from camp to camp in family groups, looking for food and water‘The Port Lincoln area was extremely rich in food and offered shelter from the weather. Because of this up to 6,000 people at a time would gather for ceremonies and specific rites. These people included other tribal groups that lived adjacent to the Barngarla, ‘There is much evidence to show how the Bamngarla lived, what they ate, their dress, their ceremonies and the way they carried out their laws and obligations. Food: ‘The Barngarla ate two main types of food which were known as: Paru (buroo) including: * all sorts of animals * kangaroos *emus * some reptiles * kangaroo rats * opossums, * wallabies * Jarge black ants * and witchetty grubs Mai (my ee) * all plant foods * nuts * berries * a variety of roots * fungus + a species of cactus called ‘karkalla? * eggsESESEE EE ESSERE EE EE SESE They also ate small fish that they caught in fish traps as well as some shell fish. The food on the land was plentiful and so the Barngarla people would Toast their meat and nuts and berries. They also cooked their fish in the same way, Shelter: In the summer the Barngarla people built simple forms of shelter using the branches and leaves of trees to form a horseshoe shape for protection against the wind and rain, In the winter they made a kind of hut which was almost water proof against the rain. In the front of the huts they built a large fire during the night to keep them warm. They often would wait until the fire burned down and they scooped the hot ashes out and made a bed of leaves and branches on the warm ground. Some Barngarla people today will still do this when they go out camping in the bush. Tool ‘The Barngarla people used a variety of tools to catch small fish and animals. When catching bigger game they used spears, axes, knives and sticks. They carried all of their tools and weapons in a type of knapsack made of kangaroo skins, If they were fishing, they would beat the water in the shallows with bushes and drive the fish onto the shore or into fish traps that they had built with rocks. They also speared the fish. ‘Traditional Barngarla people made baskets to carry a variety of things, from food to small children. They also made mats and fish trapping baskets.