Jawoyn People

Jawoyn is an all-encompassing expression used in reference to language, culture, people and territory.

Jawoyn heritage and traditional ownership of country is passed down from a Jawoyn father and in some cases, through a Jawoyn mother.

It is the affiliation of one or both parents to Jawoyn country, and our connectedness to and knowledge of our lands, that makes us Jawoyn.

Prior to contact with European settlers there were 43 clans making up the Jawoyn tribe, however many of these clans are now extinct or subsumed into other clan groups.

Today, there are 17 distinct clans making up the Jawoyn Nation and each of these clans lay claim to specific territory on Jawoyn country.

There are about 600 adult Jawoyn people living today. The majority of Jawoyn live on or close to Jawoyn traditional lands, with the majority living close to Katherine in Aboriginal communities.