Yiyura / Eora / Iyura / Yura
Understanding Dharug Identity
The term “Yiyura” carries more than one interpretation. In some contexts, it is understood to mean “men,” while in others it refers more broadly to “Aboriginal people.”
At Bayala, we use the phrase “Dharug Bayadyi Yiyura” to describe ourselves. It translates simply to “Dharug Speaking People.”
Within the Dharug language group, there are many family groups, sometimes referred to as clans, subgroups, or hordes. These family groups all share the same language: Dharug Dhalang. For example, Gadigal, Burubiranggal, Wangal, and Bidyigal all speak Dharug Dhalang. These are not separate languages or dialects; they are family groups within the Dharug language group.
While the language is the same, there are a few regional variations in pronunciation or word choice between the coastal and inland areas of Sydney. For instance:
- mayi (eye) is used in some coastal areas, while mii is used further inland.
- manawi (foot) is heard along the coast, and mandawi more inland.
These are small variations, just a handful of words that differ but they all belong to the same Dharug language. Over time, colonial and western frameworks tended to separate or classify these groups as different “dialects” or “tribes.” Through deeper language awareness and community-led revitalisation, we now understand that Dharug is one language, shared across many interconnected family groups, all united through Country, kinship, and story.
Distinguishing Dharug from Eora
It’s essential to understand the distinction between Dharug and Eora. While “Eora” was historically used in a broad sense to describe Aboriginal peoples of the Sydney region, Dharug people have a distinct identity, language, and territory. Referring to Dharug people as “Eora Nation” creates confusion. It’s a bit like saying “people people.” The word Eora has also been used against Dharug people to discredit our identity, creating the false narrative that Dharug is a word made up by academics.
On a positive note, Eora holds historical and political significance as a powerful symbol in Sydney’s Aboriginal rights movements. However, it can also be misused to downplay the distinct identity of the Dharug-speaking people, suggesting we are separate when we are, in fact, one language, one people, one Country. We honour Eora for the strength it carries, while continuing to affirm that we are, one language, one people, one Country, “Dharug Dhalang”, Dharug Yiyura (Eora)”, Dharug Ngurra.”
Colonial Impact
The arrival of Europeans in the late 18th century drastically altered the lives of Dharug Yiyura (people). Dispossession of land, introduced diseases, and violent conflict severely impacted our ancestors’ lives. Dharug Dhalang, our language, declined as colonial policies discouraged and punished its use.
Resilience and Revival
Despite these challenges, the Dharug spirit of resilience endures. Today, a dedicated movement is working to revive Dharug Dhalang and strengthen cultural identity. Organisations like Bayala Aboriginal Corporation are leading this revival, offering language classes, incorporating language into cultural workshops and programs that bring our words, stories, and songs back to life.
Through this work, Dharug language and culture continue to live, breathe, and grow, which is a testament to the strength, endurance, and spirit of Dharug Bayadyi Yiyura (The Dharug Speaking People).
Healing Through Truth and Respect
Over time, many families were told stories that separated them from who they truly are. We have been told that Dharug people didn’t exist, or that our identity belonged under other names like Eora. These messages came through schools, government policies, churches, and even community spaces. They were part of a wider pattern of colonial silencing that tried to erase local identities and our language.
At Bayala, we understand that this history has caused real hurt and confusion. We don’t judge those stories. We honour them as part of our people’s survival journey. But we also know that healing begins when truth is spoken with care.
Our role today is not to harshly correct people, but to walk alongside them, to share what we know, to invite conversation and to gently restore what was taken. Over time, by learning and speaking Dharug Dhalang together, we rebuild the connections that were broken. Truth-telling doesn’t mean dividing. It means re-membering, bringing our people and stories back together again, in language, spirit, and Country.
There have been times when First Nations individuals and organisations working on Dharug Ngurra (Country), including those employed through government-recognised structures, have told us that we don’t exist or have refused to work with us because we are not part of their governance system.
This behaviour is deeply hurtful and unacceptable. It is a form of lateral violence when the pain and trauma of colonisation are turned sideways, against one another, rather than directed at the systems that caused it. This is particularly painful because it happens on our own Country, by people who have also experienced displacement and loss.
At Bayala, we are clear. This behaviour does not reflect cultural respect or good spirit. It divides where we should be walking together. It silences Dharug voices on Dharug Country and continues the same patterns of erasure that colonisation created.
We stand firm in our truth as Dharug Bayadyi Yiyura (Dharug-speaking people). Our identity is not defined by government recognition but by Ngurra (Country), kinship, and language.
True reconciliation and cultural integrity begin when all people, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal alike, acknowledge whose Country they are on, listen to local people, and walk together with respect and humility.
Are You Dharug if Born on Dharug Country?
Understanding Birthplace and Ancestral Belonging
From an Aboriginal perspective, there is a difference between belonging to Country and being born on Country. Suppose your ancestral line comes from another Nation. For example, Wiradjuri, Gamilaraay, or Yuin, then that is your ancestral Country, where your identity and belonging come from.
If you were born on Dharug Ngurra (Country), it means you have a relationship with Dharug Country, but not ancestral custodianship or belonging. You carry a duty of respect to the Dharug people whose ancestors have always walked here.
In many Aboriginal ways of knowing, Country knows who its people are. The ancestors of this place recognise those who carry their stories, language, and responsibilities. Others who live, work, or are born here are welcomed as visitors, allies, and carers, but that does not transfer custodianship or cultural authority.
True respect means acknowledging both:
- Where your bloodline comes from and
- Whose Country you are on.
It’s about standing in both truths, honouring your own ancestral line, while walking gently and respectfully on the Country that holds you.
Identifying as Dharug
Dharug people can identify in several ways, depending on how they connect to Country, family, and language. Some may simply identify as Dharug, belonging to the Dharug people, Country, and language group as a whole. Others may identify more specifically by their local clan area or family connection, such as Barramadagal, Ganamadagal, Bidyigal, Walamadagal, or other known Dharug family groups.
Many Dharug families also carry colonial surnames that were given or adopted through government systems, missions, or early settlement periods. Even though these names are not traditional, they have become markers of Dharug family lineage, connecting generations through shared stories, resilience, and survival.
What matters most is the truth of connection:
- To Dharug Ngurra (Country): the lands, waters, and skies of our Ancestors.
- To Dharug Dhalang (Language): the sounds, stories, and names that hold our knowledge.
- To Dharug Bayadyi Yiyura (Dharug-speaking people): our families, Elders, and communities.
Each Dharug person has the right to identify in a way that honours their family story and lived experience, whether through Country, clan, family, or name. What unites us all is that we continue to speak for and care for Dharug Ngurra in good spirit.
What You Can Do to Be Respectful
- When referring to Dharug people, use “Dharug Yiyura” or “Dharug people.”
- Be aware of the distinction between Dharug and Eora, and respect how each individual or family chooses to identify.
- If appropriate, gently clarify the difference when someone who is non-Aboriginal uses Yiyura / Iyora / Eora instead of Dharug.
- Remember that some people use Eora as part of their own family or community identity due to the impacts of removal and displacement. It’s not our place to correct lived experience, only to share truth with care.
By understanding these nuances, we can all help foster more respectful, inclusive, and truthful conversations about the people, language, and Country of this place.