Arabana (SA)

LocationNeales River on the west side of Lake Eyre west to Stuart Range; Macumba Creek south to Coward Springs; at Oodnadatta, Lora Creek, Lake Cadibarrawirracanna, and the Peake. Their boundary with the Kokata on the west is marked by the margin of the scarp of the western tableland near Coober Pedy. There were hordal groupings and their term for a hordal territory was ['wadlu]; this has been mistaken for a tribal name. While Arabana today is the accepted term, I was informed by O. Siebert that Ngarabana is a better name; some earlier recorders were unable to write or hear initial sounds. Aborigines accept Arabana but admit their grandparents would have preferred Ngarabana.
Co-ordinates136°0'E x 28°30'S
Area19,500 sq. m. (50,700 sq. km.)
ReferencesTaplin, 1879; East, 1889; Helms, 1896; Spencer and Gillen, 1900, 1904; Mathews, 1900 (Gr. 6448); Bruce, 1902; Howitt, 1904; Howitt and Siebert, 1904; Parker, 1905; Eylmann, 1908; Strehlow, 1910; Spencer, 1912; Bates, 1918; Basedow, 1925; Elkin, 1931, 1940; Siebert, personal comm. 1936; Tindale in Fenner, 1936; Tindale, 1940; Wakerley in Berndt, 1941; Yallop, 1969.
Alternative NamesNgarabana, Arabuna, Arrabunna, Arrabonna, Arubbinna, Arapina (Iliaura modern pronunciation), Arapani, Urapuna, Urabuna, Urabunna, Urroban, Rabuna (an aberrant Aranda pronunciation), Wangarabana (['wongka] = ['wangka] = talk or speech), Wongkurapuna, Wangarabunna, Wonkurabana, Jendakarangu (a horde near Coward Springs), Nulla, Yendakarangu, Peake tribe (a horde), Anna Creek tribe (a horde).
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