Kunmanara Meaning: Why Aboriginal Communities Avoid the Names of the Deceased

What Kunmanara Means

Kunmanara is a substitute name used in Pitjantjatjara and Luritja communities in Central Australia to replace the first name of a person who has died. In Pitjantjatjara, it means "one whose name cannot be mentioned"; it is used in place of the deceased's name so that the actual name does not need to be spoken.

Different nations use different substitute terms. In Arrernte communities, the word is Kwementyaye. Warlpiri people use Kumantjayi, and Barkindji communities use Barlang. In urban or southern communities where name avoidance is observed, the deceased may simply be referred to by a descriptive title — "the late Elder from [community]" or similar.

Why the Name Is Avoided

The practice is rooted in the spiritual belief that speaking the name of a deceased person can interrupt their journey to the Dreaming. The name carries a connection to the physical world, and uttering it may call the spirit back from its transition, causing spiritual disturbance to both the deceased and the living — particularly to close family members.

Name avoidance is not superstition in the Western sense. It's a structural part of the mourning process that serves a protective function: it allows the community to process grief collectively while ensuring the spirit is not disturbed or detained. The restriction applies to speaking, writing, and broadcasting the name, as well as displaying photographs, playing voice recordings, or sharing video of the deceased.

The duration of name avoidance varies. In some communities it lasts for the active mourning period — weeks or months. In others, particularly when a senior Elder or culturally significant person dies, the avoidance period can extend for years. The grieving family and community determine when it's appropriate to resume use of the name.

What This Means in Practice

Name avoidance has practical implications that extend well beyond ceremony.

Social media profiles and posts featuring the deceased need to be managed. Family members may request that friends remove tagged photos, delete posts that name the person, or memorialise the account in a way that suppresses the name and image from appearing in feeds. Platforms like Facebook have "memorialise" and "remove" options, but navigating these during acute grief adds administrative burden.

Institutions need to adapt. Hospitals, schools, government agencies, and workplaces that deal with Aboriginal communities should have procedures for implementing name avoidance in their records, communications, and public-facing materials. Queensland Health's Sorry Business guidelines, for example, specifically instruct staff to implement name and image restrictions immediately upon a death and to follow the explicit directions of the family.

Media organisations are routinely asked to avoid using the name and image of deceased Aboriginal people. A cultural warning is commonly published before content that may contain names or images — "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains the names and images of people who have passed away."

Legal and administrative documents present a tension. Western legal systems require specific identification — death certificates, probate applications, insurance claims all use the legal name. The name avoidance practice doesn't override these legal requirements, but families may need support navigating this tension, particularly when dealing with institutions that don't understand why the family is reluctant to use the name in conversation even while it appears on official paperwork.

When Someone Shares a Name With the Deceased

In smaller communities, it's common for living people to share a first name with someone who has died. When this happens, the living person may temporarily adopt an alternative name or be referred to by a kinship term, nickname, or the substitute word (Kunmanara, etc.) to avoid inadvertently naming the deceased.

This can create confusion in institutional settings — school rolls, medical records, workplace rosters — where a living person suddenly starts using a different name. Institutions should treat this with the same respect as any other culturally motivated name change.

Respecting Name Avoidance as a Non-Indigenous Person

If you're a colleague, neighbour, or professional interacting with an Aboriginal family during Sorry Business, the approach is simple: follow the family's lead. If they're avoiding the name, you avoid it too. Don't ask why, don't test the boundary, and don't use the name casually in conversation because "you forgot."

If you're unsure whether name avoidance applies — because practices vary significantly between communities and families — ask once, respectfully, and follow whatever direction you receive.

For families managing the intersection of name avoidance and institutional systems, the Aboriginal Sorry Business Guide includes practical tools for navigating these situations — from social media management to institutional communication templates.