Question

What were some of the cultural values attached to stone axes by the Yir Yuront? How did the introduction of steel axes by missionaries alter those values? How did these changes affect Yir Yuront culture? Finally, can we really predict the outcome of our interactions with other cultures?

Answer 1

Yir Yount are people orginated from Australia of cape york peninsula . They belong  to the Pama-Maric group of the Pama-Nyungan language family.

Cultural values of Yir Yount :

Yir Yount were people with no knowledge on metals .They were people who lived in stone age and used to fish and hunt for their living . They also obtained vegetables from plants by using simple picking techniques .

They had no knowlege on farming or cultivation of land in order to cultivate thier own crops .They had stone axes with short handles which was one of the most important aspect of their economy .

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At the end of 19th century , metal tools and european artifacts began to filter into their territory .The flow increased the expansion of whites borders outward from southern and Eastern Queensland .Hence all the metal items from western culture were available .These western technologies were highly valued by aboriginals .

In mid of 1930s American In the mid 1930’s an American anthropologist lived alone in their territory among the Yir Yoront for 13 months without seeing single european man . However the Yir yuront were still isolated and they still continued living a indepent lifestyle by using their old stone age techniques .Yet their stone axes were almost being extent and new techniques of europeans which were steel axes were circulated in plenty .

Introduction of steel axes by missionaries alter Yir Yuront values and changes of Yir Yuront culture.

1. In 1623, A Dutch expedition landed on the coast where the Yir Yoront now live.
2. To this cultural inventory the Dutch added beads and pieces of iron which they used in an effort to attract the frightened “Indians.” Among these natives metal and beads have disappeared.
3. The next recorded contact was in the 1864 . The positivity of this contact was they were the ancestors of Yir Yuront .
4. These aboriginals had an audacity to attack a group of cattlemen who were driving a small herd from southern Queensland the length of unkown cape your peninsula .
5. This war was known as “Battle of the Mitchell River”, In which the australian people stood up to Europeans gunfire .
6. After 3 days , The europeans who lived in aboriginals territory disappered and never came back .
7. In 1915, an Anglican mission station was established near the mouth of the Mitchell River, A 3 day march from Yir Yuront county .some refused to have anything concerned to the mission , But some visited often and some were settled in ohe villages and did nit want to be considered and contacted with regards to the mission
8. Thus the majority of the Yir Yoront continued to live their old self–supporting life in the bush.