Today many direct descendants of the Kokoberrin reside in Cairns, Palm Island, Mackay, Kowanyama, and Normanton. The homeland extends from Mudpalangen, mouth of the Staaten River area, and the area between and a bit beyond the Barku, Nassau and Staaten Rivers, in Western Cape York Peninsula, it extends further along the Staaten River then following Wyabba Creek, into Staaten River National Park in the east.
Markavangduw is one of the main camps last used in the late 1940s by the Edwards, Adams, Inkermans and Jimmy families (F. Jimmy 1992). Once part of nine or so intricate family groups, they each spoke their own individual language. Today, languages spoken are Kokoberra, Kutjar, Koknar and English. The Kokoberrin define themselves according to cultural principles of land ownership: they are either coastal or ‘saltwater’ peoples, or ‘freshwater’ peoples. This is a way of identifying cultural groups (Alpher 1991).
Establishment of European counties began in the early 1900s with the Queensland Government approving land to be developed for grazing cattle. By the 1920s the bush camps had been established in which the Kokoberrin people lived. They were generally situated close to the original campsites used before colonisation. At Inkerman Station, there are three main camps, Markavenganduw, Pinnarinch and Nganbanadam. People also lived at the northern side of the Koyaru, (mouth of the Staaten River).
Yiral, is the name of the cultural system or bora ground, which was maintained in its entirety up until around 1938, with some aspects being practised into the 1960s. This lore maintained peace and harmony among the Kokoberrin and Kokoberra peoples. According to (K Jimmy 1995) and (Inkerman 1997) it was very strong, so much so that young men would run away from Yiral because of its strict cultural nature.
In 1994 under the guidance of senior Kokoberrin Elders, the Kokoberrin Tribal Aboriginal Corporation was formed under the Aboriginal Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (CATSI Act).
Its specific role:
1. Wellbeing(a) Revitalise, maintain, strengthen and promote Kokoberrin art, culture and lifestyle.
2. Land management(b) Identify, map, document, acquire and manage Kokoberrin land, sea, water and natural resources.
3. Business (c) Identify, engage in and promote partnerships with other organisations, government agencies, private and public companies, funding and philanthropic bodies. (d) Seek director general cultural gift recipient status.
4. Education(e) Create training and employment opportunities and pathways for Kokoberrin people.
5. Events(f) Create and deliver an annual program of events which aim to strengthen and develop the skills of Kokoberrin people.
Understanding our history and our future is important to our connection to land, sea and freshwater. It comes from the beginning, when our ancestral beings created the land and its story. Today we pass this knowledge down to our next generations. Our land and sea is bound by a philosophy that has protected and been maintained from the beginning. This philosophy is made up of generations of management and respect for social and cultural well-being. Our country aligns to the Kokoberra of Kowanyama and we hold ancestral relationships to creations stories, language and lifestyle.
Kokoberrin People 