Yadhaykenu

DISCLAIMER:

The locations of the language varieties of Cape York Peninsula shown on this map are not intended for Land Claim use, and are an approximate guide only. Individual language project locations are based on information from publicly available documents.  

This map is a work in progress and is to be regarded as a dynamic draft. Pama Language Centre welcomes additions and corrections to the draft map and to information about the language varieties listed.

The Northern Peninsula Area is composed of five communities: Injinoo, Umagico, Bamaga, New Mapoon and Seisia. The peoples of the Angkamuthi, Atambaya, and Yadhaykanu clans settled the Injinoo community. New Mapoon was settled by the clans of Tjungundji and related groups including the Mpakwithi, who came from the area around Port Musgrave.

Bamaga and Seisia were settled by a small number of families from Saibai island, south of the Fly River Delta in Papua New Guinea whilst Umagico was developed by a number of different groups, chief among them the Bakanambia and Jeteneru people from Princess Charlotte Bay and the Wuthathi people from Lockhart River.

caption photo

Reg Williams – Yadhaykenu elder and language champion.

Uncle Shorty sings Apudthinngal Wuchuma

The Yadhaykenu language was once widely spoken along the east coast of Northern Cape York Peninsula. Today, Meun Lifu – known as Uncle Shorty – is the only living  speaker.
 
Some time early in the 1900’s, after surviving decades of brutal conflict with Frank Jardine and his allies, the remaining Yadhakenu travelled west across the cape to establish the Cowal Creek settlement – now Injinoo – with their Angkamuthi and Atambaya neighbours. 
 
Born in the middle of World War II at Cowal Creek, Uncle Shorty has witnessed the rise of Bamaga, Seisia, New Mapoon and ultimately Umagico. He has seen these communities change from their traditional names (Ichirru, Ithunja, Mandingu and Lalawu respectively) to their modern ones reflecting the cultural identities of their current populations.
 
A natural raconteur, Uncle Shorty,  Pama Language Centre composer Joshua McHugh and linguist Xavier Barker spent time together turning his stories to song.  The result of this collaboration marks the dawn of Yadhaykenu literature and the beginnings of Yadhaykenu revival. In this song, Uncle Shorty tells the story of encounters with apudthinngal wuchuma – the three brown snakes – during his time as a ranger. 
 
Uncle Shorty is working with Pama Language Centre to re-engage Yadykenu youth with their language and to develop foundational literature and learning resources to support Yadhaykenu revival.
AUSTLANG referencey8
AUSTLANG reference nameYadhaykenu
OTHER REFERENCE CODE(S)ISO 639-3 code?
LANGUAGE VARIETY NAME, PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION/jadaka:na/
/jadðeika:na/
/jadðaika:na/
LANGUAGE VARIETY NAME, PHONEMIC TRANSCRIPTION/’jaðeka:na/
LANGUAGE VARIETY COMPLEXInjinoo Ikya, Uradhi
LANGUAGE STATUSMoribund (EGIDS 8)
PRACTICAL ORTHOGRAPHIES
DICTIONARY WATCH THIS SPACE
FIND A TRANSLATORXavier Barker, xbarker@pamalanguagecentre.org.au, 0433 994 182
CONNECT WITH SPEECH COMMUNITY

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