Ngarrindjeri - Tribes of The Ngarrindjeri

Tribes of The Ngarrindjeri

There were eighteen Ngarrindjeri "tribes" known as Lakinyeri, each occupying a distinct area of land (ruwe). The lakinyerar in turn comprised 77 clan (family) groups in the 1930s, each with its own distinct dialect. Every member of a lakinyeri is related by blood and it is forbidden to marry any member of the same lakinyeri. A couple also may not marry a member of another lakinyeri if they have a great-grandparent (or closer relation) in common.

Missionary ethnographer the Rev. George Taplin, who established Point McLeay mission in 1859, using a "high quality" linguistics study conducted by the Lutheran missionary H.A.E. Meyer in 1879 recorded that the Ngarrindjeri nation comprised 18 Lakinyeri, each with it own Ngaitji (Totem). Note: In Ngarrindjeri grammar -dj- is pronounced "somewhere between a d and a y" but is usually pronounced y by Europeans. However, mispronunciation is considered offensive by the Ngarrindjeri.

• Kaikalabindjeri - (possibly Yaraldi also spelt Jaraldekald), south and eastern shores of Lake Albert. - Ngaitji Bull ant
• Kanmerarorn - Coorong between the Pakindjeri and Ngrangatari Lakinyerar - Ngaitji Mullet
• Karatinderi - Eastern side of Lake Alexandrina around Point Malcolm - Ngaitji Wild dog, light colour
• Kondarlindjeri - (possibly Prillthinyeri also spelt Prullthunyeri), southern shores of Lake Alexandrina west of the Murray Mouth - Ngaitji Whale
• Korowalie - (also spelt Warrawaldie or Waruwaldi) north of Lake Alexandrina - Ngaitji Whipsnake
• Lungundi - East side of Murray Mouth. - Ngaitji Tern
• Luthindjeri - River Murray, Swanport area between Murray Bridge and Tailem Bend - Ngaitji Black snake, Teal, Grey belly black snake
• Mungulindjeri - (also spelt Marunggulindjeri or Manggurupa). Eastern side of Lake Albert - Ngaitji Chocolate Sheldrake
• Ngrangatari - (possibly Potaruwutj), Naracoorte west to within sixteen kilometres of the ocean along the third inland dune range of the Coorong. - Ngaitji Kangaroo rat
• Piltindjeri - Eastern side of Lake Alexandrina - Ngaitji Leeches, Catfish
• Punguratpular - Western side of Lake Alexandrina around Milang - Ngaitji Musk duck
• Pakindjeri - Coorong east of Lake Albert - Ngaitji Butterfish
• Ramindjeri - (also spelt Ramijeri, Ramidjeri, Raminyeri or Ranijeri), Encounter Bay and Cape Jervis. - Ngaitji Wattle gum
• Rangulindjeri - (possibly Thooree), western shore of Lake Albert. - Ngaitji Wild dog, dark colour
• Tanganarin - (also spelt Tangani or Tangane), Goolwa to the Coorong. - Ngaitji Pelican
• Turarorn - Mundoo Island in Lake Alexandrina - Ngaitji Coot
• Welindjeri - (possibly Warki or Portawalun also spelt Portaulan), northern shore of Lake Alexandrina. - Ngaitji Black duck, Red belly black snake
• Wunyakulde - (possibly Ngaralta), along the Murray where Murray Bridge is now situated. - Ngaitji Black duck

Norman Tindale's research in the 1920s and Ronald and Catherine Berndt's ethnographic study, which was conducted in the 1930s, established only 10 lakinyerar. Neither Tindale or the Berndt's had any formal linguistic training and although they remain a major source of material for the Ngarrindjeri people today their accuracy in this area should not be assumed. Tindale worked with Clarence Long (a Tangani man) while the Berndts worked with Albert Karloan (a Yaraldi man).

• Malganduwa - No references before Berndt. No clans identified.
• Marunggulindjeri - No references before Berndt. Two clans.
• Naberuwolin - No references before Berndt. No clans identified, may be related to Potawolin.
• Potawolin - Also spelt Porthaulun and Porta'ulan. David Unaipon said this was the language name and that the lakinyeri was called Waruwaldi. No clans identified but recorded by Radcliffe-Brown (1918: 253)
• Ramindjeri - Also spelt Raminyeri, Raminjeri, Raminderar or Raminjerar (ar = plural), also known as Ramong and Tarbana-walun. 27 clans.
• Tangani - Also spelt Tangane, Tanganarin, Tangalun and Tenggi. 19 clans confirmed and eight recorded but not located. The Kanmerarorn and Pakindjeri lakinyeri named by Taplin are recorded as Tangani clans.
• Wakend - Also spelt Warki, Warkend, also known as Korowalle, Korowalde and Koraulun. One clan.
• Walerumaldi - Also spelt Waruwaldi (see Potawolin) Two clans.
• Wonyakaldi - Also spelt Wunyakulde and Wanakalde. One clan.
• Yaraldi - Also spelt Yaralde, Jaralde and Yarilde. 14 clans. In the 1930s, the ruwe (land) of six of these clans extended along the coast from Cape Jervis to a few kilometers south of Adelaide, land traditionally believed to be Kaurna. The Rev. George Taplin recorded in 1879 that the Ramindjeri occupied the southern section of the coast from Encounter Bay, some 100 km south of Adelaide, to Cape Jervis but made no mention of any more northerly Ngarrindjeri occupation. Berndt posits that Ngarrindjeri clans may have expanded along trade routes as the Kaurna were dispossessed by colonists.

Some lakinyeri may have disappeared and others may have merged as a result of population decline following colonisation. Additionally, Clan groups within the lakinyerar would use the local dialect or their own clan name for lakinyeri names also leading to confusion. For example, Jaralde, Jaraldi, Jarildekald and Jarildikald were separate clan names as were Ramindjari, Ramindjerar, Ramindjeri, Ramingara, Raminjeri, Raminyeri. Several of these are also used as names for the lakinyerar. Clans could also change their lakinyeri, Berndt found that two Tangani clans who lived close to a Yaraldi clan had picked up their dialect and were thus now considered to be Yaraldi.