Geomapped semantics of Bininj Kunwok orientation lexicon

Cialone, Claudia

Hunter Gatherer Research (2018), 4, (3), 391–409.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3828/hgr.2018.24
Language: English
Pages: 19

Abstract

Bininj Kunwok people (or Bininj) are a traditionally hunter-gatherer people whose territory is located around the Arnhem Land plateau in the Northern Territory of Australia. This paper describes the results of a systematic documentation of Bininj Kunwok spatial navigation in the bush through a semantic analysis of geographically contextualised orientation language. Through the application of a novel methodology involving semi-naturalistic data collected and analysed through the synchronisation of action cameras and GPS during walks, this study addresses the following questions: how can orientation be calibrated and verbalised during movement across varying settings; how do Bininj orientate during navigation, which factors affect orientation and what spatial language do they use to orientate or give direction? The results show that Bininj Kunwok people prefer allocentric orientation systems during navigation, specifically, the cardinal (‘north/south/east/west’) and the geomorphic (‘uphill/downhill, high Country/low Country’). Cardinal systems are predominantly used when speakers are further away from salient geographic features, like rivers. The reverse happens with geomorphic systems.

Two major orientation strategies derived from a semantic analysis of the language were also detected during navigation: a ‘proximate’, based on the immediate judgement of the eye, and an ‘ultimate’, based on traditions of land travel. The use of one strategy or the other may depend on assumptions of spatial common ground within a group of fellow navigators. Both findings reveal the salience of two main factors in navigation: the geographical and the social context in which the language is used.

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