About

The Kaurna People

The kaurna people had their own special variation of Aboriginal lifestyle. They are very gentle and dignified people. The lifestyle established, was one that built around a rich culture of song, dance and story that was lovingly passed on from generation to generation, reminding them of their links with the land, and of the right ways to live.

The Kaurna people lived in a democratic society based on equality. Older and wiser people gave leadership within their own family group. Decisions were made within a set of laws that were known to the whole group. Every person was valued in this society, as everyone had a skill that could be used for the good of the group. The old and the young were extremely well cared for, all things were shared as needed.

They lived in a area that was full of nutritious food, both plant and animal. The way of life depended highly on their being free to move around as they had always done, when the seasons varied.

Late spring/summer was usually a time when food sources became plentiful. During this time the concentration of people were greater. This enabled them to enjoy many ceremonies and social activities. Favoured camping spots were beaches and dunes. They were ideal spots because of the warmth and the abundance of shelter and nearby marshes and lagoons.

Late summer/early autumn was when “Fire-Stick Farming” was utilized – fires were lit to burn of growth, to hunt game and to encourage the re-growth of green shoots during the following spring.

Winter was a time when groups dispersed because food supplies became scarcer. Kaurna people usually confined themselves to the inland plains at this time. It may have been cold and wet, however, there was plenty of firewood and materials to build adequate shelter for protection until the warmer months came around.

In 1836, South Australia was proclaimed. The population of the Kaurna people went into a steep decline due to European Settlement and their intervention and effects of introduced plants and animals on the environment. Thus, lessening the degree of control the Kaurna people had over living their traditional lifestyle.

By the mid 1850’s, the Aboriginal population was only 180, taking only twenty years for the decline. However, the Europeans in contrast rapidly grew from 941 in 1836 to 17,366 in 1840, taking just four years for such growth.

http://www.bri.net.au/medicine.html