Cultures and country

The spectacular land and sea country of our region of Arnhem Land is a place of tremendous cultural diversity. It is the country of about 2500 Aboriginal people of more than 100 clans and 12 distinct language groups. We are resilient people who have important responsibilities to protect and maintain our ancestral country, including the namesake of Bábbarra Women’s Centre and Bábbarra Designs, the sacred Bábbarra billabong.

Themes in our artwork almost exclusively come from our country and cultural connection. The deep relationship we have with the land and seas of our customary clan estates strongly defines and governs the social, cultural, spiritual, and territorial aspects of our lives.

In creating this website we have tried to be culturally accurate in all ways, including our use of local languages. Non-English terms used in a general context are in the Ndjébbana language. This is the language of the Kunibídji people on whose country Bábbarra Women’s Centre is sited. Place names are generally in the language of the people of that place. Non-English terms used in a specific cultural context are in the language of that person or country.

If you want to learn more about our Arnhem Land region, explore all the Bawinanga websites.