It's All In the Family

• As expected, the building blocks of Yolngu social organization are patrilineal, estate owning clans.
• i.e. A person belongs to the clan of their father.
• The Yolngu universe is divided into two exogamous patrimoieties called Dhuwa and Yirritja.
• Each clan and its estates belong either to one or the other.
• The Yolngu believe in caring for their mother and her clan; watching out and protecting them.
• Visual of Kinship: http://arts.monash.edu.au/ecps/conferences/negotiating-the-sacred/2008/morphy-paper.pdf

Sources: http://arts.monash.edu.au/ecps/conferences/negotiating-the-sacred/2008/morphy-paper.pdf, http://arts.monash.edu.au/ecps/conferences/negotiating-the-sacred/2008/morphy-paper.pdf

Image:https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWqsrKjr4o0jX7UXrXExYS6oqWUM7czuos70M_z6iKE0_DnYtUYB76cCBe55e6IZlMF-WfGIjTT1ut2ibOAv5uOFZXRLaesMLSd01Rwma04paybLdFK7RHDqjPi4R_KRHDnmzsVVcRIMI/s1600/IMG_4284.JPG

What Is In A Name?

• In their native tongue, Yolngu means "person." 
• Yolngu is the term that Aboriginal people in this region use to refer to themselves, it is not the name of a language group or clan.
• The term Murngin was formally used by some anthropologists to describe them.

Here's how to pronounce it: http://www.yolnguboy.com/resource/sounds-modified/Yolngu-mono-22.wav

Source: http://www.ealta.org/yolgnupeople.html

Image: http://www.free-accommodation-for-world-travel.com/images/Gundawuy.jpg