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Acknowledgement of Kaurna People and Kaurna Land

ACC Statement of Acknowledgement

At its meeting of 27 May 2002, the Adelaide City Council accepted the need to acknowledge the traditional lands of the Kaurna people at the opening of every Council meeting.

A very brief statement of acknowledgement in the Kaurna language is as follows:

Kaurna meyunna, Kaurna yerta, ngadlu tampendi.

We recognise Kaurna people and their land.

The Adelaide City Council acknowledgement in English reads:

"Adelaide City Council acknowledges that we are meeting on the traditional country of the Kaurna people of the Adelaide Plains.

We recognise and respect their cultural heritage, beliefs and relationship with the land. We acknowledge that they are of continuing importance to the Kaurna people living today."

A Kaurna translation of this follows:

ACCrlo tampendi, ngadlu Kaurna yertangga banbabanbalyarnendi (inbarendi). Kaurna meyunna yaitya mattanya Womma Tarndanyako.

Parnako yailtya, parnuko tappa purruna, parnuko yerta ngadlu tampendi. Yellaka Kaurna meyunna itto yailtya, tappa purruna, yerta kuma burro martendi, burro warriappendi, burro tangka martulyaiendi.

A simplified version, that is a little more detailed than the brief acknowledgement is as follows:

Ngadlu yerlteriburka ACCko tampendi ngadlu Kaurna yertangga inbarendi.

Kaurna meyunnarlo parnako yerta, yailtyanna, tappa purruna kuma burro martendi, burro tangka martulyaiendi. Yaintya ngadlu tampendi.

'We Adelaide City Councillors acknowledge that we are meeting on Kaurna land.

Kaurna people still embrace and long for their land, beliefs and way of life. This we recognise.'

Anglicare Statement of Acknowledgement

Original Anglicare Wording:

"We acknowledge the Kaurna people as the traditional owners of this land. We acknowledge their living culture and unique role in the life of this region"

Kaurna translation:

Ngadlu Kaurna meyunna tampendi. Parna yerta mattanya bukkiunangko.

Ngadlu tampendi Kaurna meyunna burro purruna.

Pangkarra Womma Kaurna, Kaurnakundi yerta.

Literal translation of Kaurna version:

We acknowledge the Kaurna people. They are the land owners from a long time ago.

We recognise (that) the Kaurna people are still alive (ie have survived)

The territory of the Kaurna Plains is exclusively Kaurna land.

It was acknowledged that there is some redundancy in this text. It was felt that the first line or the last line could be used independently as a short version, or the entire text could be used.

Catholic Education Acknowledgement of Kaurna Land

In 2002, Catholic Education requested a Kaurna statement of acknowledgement of Kaurna land that could be used at assemblies in Catholic schools located in Kaurna country. The following statement was formulated for Catholic Education by KWP:

Ngadlu tampendi Kaurna meyunna yerta mattanya Womma Tarndanyako.

'We recognise (that) Kaurna people are the landowners and custodians of the Adelaide Plains.'

Click this link for more information on the Catholic Education Kaurna acknowledgement.

Content courtesy of:
Kaurna Warra Pintyandi
Signatories: Dr Alice Wallara Rigney, Lewis Yerloburka O'Brien and Dr Rob Amery