Aboriginal Clans

A totem clan is recognized as a single intertribal unit among all the tribes of Australia, and its members look upon one another as brothers for the same reason as do Roman Catholic priests, no matter what country they live in (Gennep).

There are 23 clans that belong to the Aboriginal Yolngu. They are separated by moieties, the Yirritja and the Dhuwa. However, they are connected because each household comes from both moieties (the husband belongs to one and the wife the other). Children carry the moiety of the father. Clan identity refers to common rights in Dreaming songs, designs, and ceremonies.

Dhuwa and Yirritja doctrines concerning origins are entirely different; clan members are reminded of the importance of living together in harmony by merely surveying the land and seascape (McIntosh:2000)