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Aurukun Indigenous Knowledge Centre

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24.01.2022 Minh puuy is the Wik-Mungkan name for the giant Cape York mud crab. Join locals Rufus, Rosie and young Jonny as they take us deep into the mangroves for some serious bush tucker. And keep your ears open for a lesson in their Wik-Mungkan Language, THE ONLY Indigenous Language in Queensland considered strong!! https://youtu.be/B4ik9XOuX5c

24.01.2022 Young Lewis joined IKC Flexi attendees on a bush tucker walk and found May Kooth (water Lilly). Although the stems of the lillies are deliciously edible Lewis decided to give them to his grandmother Doris as an early Mothers Day gift to decorate her home with.

24.01.2022 IKC Flexi went on a nearby bush walk at Dry Swamp (Um Toch) with Elder Perry Yunkaporta pointing out seasonal features. Students took photos and collected some plant and flower samples.

23.01.2022 ADF Reservists invaded the IKC this week for delivery of some training modules. Flexi students learned from the sidelines about first aid, CPR and combat protocols around safety and team work. Life skills with future pathways to employment offers youth food for thought.

23.01.2022 As part of NAIDOC celebrations this week, Elders will open the "Wik Seasons Calendar" mural at Koolkan Aurukun State School with a traditional Malp' (Wik dance ceremony). The mural forms part of the 'Learning on Wik Country Program' at Koolkan School, supporting Elders in their customary roles as Cultural teachers to the younger generations. This project was made possible through the continuing partnership between Aurukun Shire Council, State Library of Queensland, Koolkan Aurukun State School and Wik Elders. Thanks to Arts Queensland for funding the supply of paints as well as the Wik & Kugu Arts Centre for mural coordination.

23.01.2022 Pam Wanch (men and women) from the Wik Nation, Aurukun, visited Quinkan Country for the 2021 Laura Quinkan Dance Festival. About 30 Aurukun community members from the Putch, Apalech and Winchanam Clan's made their mark on the bora grounds at Laura. The Clan's danced many of their major stories including the Barramundi Dance, Kang Kang (Sea eagle) Dance and Winchanam's Emu Dance. Enjoy the video. https://youtu.be/8XyiqQBzB60

22.01.2022 Winchanam clan Elder with next generation @ Laura Aboriginal Dance Festival. Keeping Culture Living, Sharing Wik Life.

21.01.2022 Maintaining Culture by doing. Elders dancing with the young, teaching the timeless things to the next generation. A Custodian’s heartfelt duty.

21.01.2022 IKC Flexi students Weston and Jaylene looking after our new friend Mango. Flexi have adopted orphaned foal Mango and are making sure she is getting plenty of nutrition via our recently purchased supply of Mare’s replacement milk powder. Giddy up!

20.01.2022 Visit the SPOKEN exhibition State Library of Queensland to view a great Aurukun IKC bio-cultural production highlighting the importance of sustaining oral languages such as Wik Mungkan.. Now showing until 19th April !!

19.01.2022 Elder Perry Yunkaporta telling students the Blue Tongue Lizard (Min WEL) story. Spoiler: it doesn’t end well for the Min Thaipan. Flexi student Jaylene did a great job keeping Blue Tongue comfortable.

18.01.2022 The Wik Seasons Mural was formally unveiled yesterday at Koolkan Aurukun State School with a traditional malp’ (dance ceremony). In this photo, dancers stand next to a pyuungk (Wik lore stick) as a mark of respect for Country #naidoc2020 #wikmungkan #aurukun #bioculturaldiversity

18.01.2022 After a nice bush tucker walk IKC Flexi students enjoyed a quick snack on some small crabs (minh puuy manyi) they speared for themselves.

18.01.2022 IKC out collecting Wu (bush ochre). The ochres will be used for contemporary purposes at the Wik and Kugu art centre and ceremonial purposes in the community. Stay tuned for a lesson in processing Wu in the camp fire!! #biocultural #wikmungkan #aurukun

18.01.2022 Young Wik Apelech Clan Dancers honouring their Heritage, following their Elders. Boy Weston and Boy Kenneth proud of their Language and Culture @ Laura Aboriginal Dance Festival.

17.01.2022 Week 3 of Outdoor Living Classroom lessons at Koolkan Aurukun State School saw another great intergenerational showcasing of Wik Culture. IKCs Woyan-min Project again facilitated digital documentation of the lesson with resources being developed for the schools Wik Language Room. Wik cultural practice: weaving kunchan kangk (pandanus fibres). Students used last weeks split pandanus to start their own woven fruit bowl creations with the guidance of their Elders.... Students are also learning about media production and the ins-and-outs of film making back in the studio.

17.01.2022 Arthur and other IKC Flexi students worked hard to load the trailer with sand and then spread it under the yuk ngathan Outdoor Living Classroom space which is being cleaned up for a Term 2 learning place.

17.01.2022 After further consultation with Elders and staff, the Wik-Mungkan outdoor living classroom program is back on for students of Koolkan Aurukun State School. The Indigenous Knowledge Centres Biocultural team will continue to facilitate student re-engagement with Wik Cultural practices on-Country alongside Elders. Photos: Wik Language Room students on-Country learning about the practice of collecting kunchan kaangk (Wik Mungkan name for Pandanus leaves).

17.01.2022 New collaboration between Wik and Kugu Art Centre & Aurukun Indigenous Knowledge Centres Biocultural Project... first episode can be viewed on YouTube now! Enjoy this Wik-Mungkan Language production !

16.01.2022 Koolkan Aurukun State School students have been learning how to collect bush dyes this week. A partnership between the Wik-Mungkan Language Program and the IKC Biocultural team, students are being supported around bush literacy based on the local seasons. Wik Indigenous Knowledge is rich with connections to Western Science and students engage well with their Heritage in this context.

16.01.2022 Watch the premiere of "Wild bush orchid: Pach Puchalam" this afternoon!! Link below. Pach Puchalam, a wild bush orchid growing on the Wik lands of Cape York, is a plant with many uses. Some of these uses will be explained in this short film. ... Join the Aurukun Indigenous Knowledge Centre for a cultural insight into pach puchalam and the important knowledge that has been passed down through the many generations of Wik custodianship. https://youtu.be/xl4yipa0SR4

16.01.2022 Join the Aurukun IKC tomorrow morning for our latest bio-cultural film about Minh puuy, the Wik-Mungkan name for the giant Cape York mud crab. Follow locals Rufus, Rosie and young Jonny as they take us deep into the mangroves for some serious bush tucker. YouTube link to be provided for the film premiere tomorrow morning! #IYIL2019 #bioculturalaustralia #wikmungkan

16.01.2022 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xl4yipa0SR4 Please check out IKC Aurukuns latest bio-cultural film about wild bush orchids known in language as pach puchalam. #IYIL2019

15.01.2022 Wik dancers on the dance ground at Napranum’s Ruchook 2021 Cultural Festival yesterday. Ancient tradition being passed on to the next generation maintains Culture and Language, supporting identity, dignity and wellbeing. Respect.

15.01.2022 IKC Flexi student Arthur went for a bush tucker walk with the crew and found the May Wathiiy (long yam) vine. When the leaves turn yellow the yam is ready to harvest. The seeds (see detail) can be planted when dried out too. The yams should be ready for harvest soon.

15.01.2022 Out bush with Flexi last week visiting a native bee hive and learning how to split a hive so as to eventually take one back home, leaving the original to sustainably thrive. Budding ecologists, learning about the birds and the bees, Custodians!

15.01.2022 Young IKC participants had a successful hunting trip after Flexi hours collecting several crabs and this sweet Minh thech young goanna for a tasty afternoon snack. They took their catch to one of the boys grandfathers for some of the finer points on how to prepare this delicacy. Well done boys!

15.01.2022 Min Wel (Blue Tongue Lizard) is what was in the box! He visited the IKC to feature in a traditional Wik story about the Blue Tongue, his wife the Watersnake and the Thaipan who stole the Blue Tongue’s wife while he was away hunting. Elder Perry Yunkaporta read the old school days storybook to students at the Aurukun State School.

14.01.2022 The Koolkan Aurukun State School hosted Traditional Wik Dancers and Church Choir members who welcomed the homecoming of the school’s new Principal, Wik woman Baressa Frazer. An historical day for the Aurukun community which has brought great joy and hope to the Elders.

14.01.2022 IKC Flexi students prepare this outdoor living classroom space using the bush whipper snipper (fire) to clear the long grass. Students will be learning about the bush string (kuuy ngathan) which has been made for generations from the roots of the native fig tree and about the nearby fresh water spring... they will also do some reading and writing, while enjoying the lovely shade.

13.01.2022 Finishing the school term off strong out on Wik Country. Teachers and students from Koolkan Aurukun State School learnt from Elders about important Cultural knowledge surrounding "may at" (sugarbag). The students made a sustainable harvest of "may at" taking only enough materials as needed, sparing the tree and the sugarbag nest.... Full-length film coming next school term...see you then. See more

13.01.2022 Wik Outdoor Living Classroom starting today @ Koolkan Aurukun State School Here, students listened to Wik Elders Dorothy and Irene as they explained the process of fruit bowl weaving using kunchan kangk (pandanus fibres) and bush dyes such as paamp and wayk. IKCs Woyan-min Biocultural project supported with documentation of digital Wik language resources and also gave a few lessons in behind the scenes media production.

13.01.2022 Week 5 of "Wik Outdoor Living Classroom" lessons. Students from Koolkan Aurukun State School learnt invaluable Wik Cultural Knowledge about bush dye's including how to prepare and apply the dye to pandanus fibre. This short video was produced by the Woyan-min Biocultrual Project and has been translated from the local Aurukun Language Wik-Mungkan, the last Indigenous Langauge on Queensland's mainland considered "living and thriving".

11.01.2022 The Aurukun exhibit was the star of the opening night at the State Library of Queenslands Spoken exhibition celebrating the U.Ns International Year of Indigenous Languages. Take a bow Aurukun, the only Aboriginal community in Queensland who still have their mother tongue as their first language. The exhibition runs until April.

11.01.2022 Wik Cultural teacher Perry Yunkaporta and Artists Garry and Lex Namponan of the Wik and Kugu Art Centre are leading a mural project with students at Koolkan Aurukun State School. The mural will form part of Woyan-min Biocultural Projects engagement within the school linking student learning with Wik Land, Language and Culture. The mural is supported by an Arts Queensland Grant in collaboration with The Aurukun Indigenous Knowledge Centre, Wik and Kugu Art Centre and Koolkan ...Aurukun State School Stay tuned for more stories as the project develops.

10.01.2022 Wik dancers performed Malp’ (dance ceremony) as part of KAAP THONAM - Wik Seasons Calendar opening. The ceremony was part of Aurukun NAIDOC celebrations and drew a big crowd of students and community members.

10.01.2022 Senior Artists from the Wik and Kugu Arts Centre Aunty Olive Kepple, Sister Jean Wolmbeng and Aunty Janet Koongotema, along with Arts Development worker Aunty Heather Koowootha (Yarrabah spelling) and elder Martha Koowartha recently visited the Koolkan Aurukun State School (KASS) to share their Arts stories and show them some of their paintings. Senior KASS teacher Ms Kooiman is seen passing around some of the ochres the artists use in their work. The session was part of an ongoing program which the Wik Mungkan Indigenous Knowledge Centre is supporting to present traditional Arts and Crafts practices to students, led by Elders, in Language and on Country, called the Outdoor Living Classroom project. Biocultural Knowledge and Seasonal Indicators are a focus of this work.

10.01.2022 These bush custard apples are collected for the seed bank and used to regenerate mine sites. The season of kayman maal, which is now, is the best time to find these fruits #bioculturalaustralia #wikmungkan #IYIL2019

09.01.2022 What’s in the box at the IKC??? Stay tuned to find out - tomorrow.

09.01.2022 Ayyang! Ngamp min.ay? Aurukun IKC is off to a good start this year with plenty of Community coming in and using the centre everyday. We are doing plenty of Flexi-education for Aurukun youth, preparing for Laura Aboriginal Dance festival 2020 and continuing on with our bio-cultural productions together with elders and students. Stay tuned for more good news coming out of the IKC over the next few months!

09.01.2022 Flexi regular John Wolmby got hands-on during a recent visit to the dump taking a close look at recycling very literally. Bike parts were in high demand.

08.01.2022 Week 2 of Wik Living Classroom lessons @ Koolkan Aurukun State School. Our Woyan-min Biocultural Project multi-media team is supporting the development of digital Language resources for the Wik Language program at the school. Students taking part in the Living Classroom lessons are also learning skills in filming and post-production. Photos: Elders introducing students to the process of splitting kunchan (pandanus) in preparation for drying then dying the fibres.

08.01.2022 Enjoy a short Wik-Mungkan film production on a local delicacy found here in Aurukun. "Ma'wunth", the Wik name for the freshwater crayfish (Macrobranchia Species), is a seasonal food that swims down with the fresh floodwaters of KAAP (wet season). Film production by the Woyan-min Biocultural media team. Have a nice weekend !... https://youtu.be/vLw2Pvx6mcs

07.01.2022 IKC Aurukun will release yet another great bio-cultural film today. Stay tuned for a premiere of pach puchalam late this afternoon. We will post a link to the premiere at lunch time..stay tuned! In the meantime, here is a shot taken out on country just yesterday with an IKC Flexi-Ed group foraging for Minh onchangan (mudshell)! The group collected 2 whole bags in no time at all!! We will post a short film about this also! ... #IYIL2019 #bioculturalaustralia #wikmungkan

07.01.2022 Apalech clan member painting up and ready for ceremony. Malp (corroboree) in Wik culture is highly important and the distinctive body markings seen here are inextricably linked to Country and Language which are strong here in Aurukun #IYIL2019 #biocultural #WikMungkan

06.01.2022 Soap making at the IKC, lime and lemon scented handmade soaps with coconut oil and olive oil. Hands-on science for Flexi students! Next batch will feature some local botanicals.

06.01.2022 Wik Dancers from the Apelech and Putch Clan groups performed Malp to honour and celebrate the homecoming of the new school Principal, Wik woman Baressa Frazer. Students and staff joined in the celebration of this historic occasion.

06.01.2022 The Woyan-min Bio-Cultural Project Aurukun, a partnership between Wik elders and the Aurukun Shire Council in association with Aurukun IKC and Education Queensland has teamed up with @statelibraryqld for SPOKEN, an exhibition about the importance of understanding and preserving some of the few remaining THRIVING Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages in Queensland. 'Wik.Thayanam.Thawan is a short documentary featuring Wik Elders speaking about their language journey from the bush into the Community of Aurukun. The documentary focuses on Wik-Mungkan, the LAST strong Aboriginal language spoken on Queensland's mainland as a first language!!

05.01.2022 This week, students of Koolkan Aurukun State School learnt from their Wik Teachers about the many different cultural uses of ‘may at’ (sugarbag). Students took part in the making of an ‘olk’ (ceremonial headdress) and listened carefully to elders as they explained the significance of the olk to Wik people. The IKC’s Biocultural team is facilitating the Wik Language Room to deliver more of these lessons on-Country in their efforts to move some of their in-class learning to an ‘outdoor-classroom’ space.

05.01.2022 IKC Flexi boys went down to the landing for a lesson in healthy living as Jairus Yunkaporta showed them how to eat fresh, healthy and happy with his catch of nutritious fish for lunch. No Basics Card needed!

04.01.2022 Wik dancers enjoyed centre stage for three days and three nights at the 2021 Laura Aboriginal Dance Festival along with Dance teams from communities all over the Cape and further South. Here we see the Wik Dancers, led by Women Elders, about to go out onto the Bora ground to perform malp for the audience of thousands. Rave reviews followed, including spine tingling and powerful presence.

04.01.2022 This week, the Woyan-min Biocultural team supported students and teachers from Koolkan Aurukun State School with a cultural site visit to collect thooth (cabbage fan palm). Students learnt about kuuy thuuth (cabbage fan palm string) and the in-depth process of extracting the silk-like material used in the making of Wik ceremonial dance skirts.

04.01.2022 On the trails this morning with IKC in search of bush custard apple. Woyan-min ! #wikmungkan #bioculturalaustralia #IYIL2019

04.01.2022 Welcome to a short film series called: "Ngan aak kangk.ak iiy.anan" (a Wik-Mungkan Language expression meaning "lets go walk our country"). Presented by the Aurukun Indigenous Knowledge Centre's Biocultural team, this series will introduce some important Cultural insights about reading the bush from a local "Wik perspective". Walking on Country with Wik Elders is both educational and good for everyones health. Yikky (wild swamp hibiscus) is a Wik seasonal indicator. The fl...ower appears at the end of Kaap (wet season) and at the beginning of Onchan Wayath (end of the wet). Not only does is make the bush look more attractive, Yikky indicates significant changes occurring across the Land. Enjoy episode #1. https://youtu.be/KctIJnqGKGM

03.01.2022 A recent visitor to the Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane has enjoyed a great display of works by some of Aurukun’s very best Wik & Kugu Artists. The gallery is currently showcasing a wonderful exhibition by the late Waal Waal Ngallametta that includes her world-famous ochre paintings. The exhibition highlights the important contribution Waal Waal has made to arts, culture and society nationally. Also featured is a wonderful display of contemporary Wik art by the late Arthur Pambegan Snr in collaboration with his son Alair. Enjoy the photos

03.01.2022 The Woyan Min Outdoor Living Classroom continues to engage young Wik children with their rich cultural heritage, caring Elders and the beautiful natural environment which surrounds Aurukun. Grades 4 and 5 students visited the Yuk Ngathan outdoor learning place today to listen to Elders share stories about the special tree and nearby waterhole. The students also sketched their impressions of this ancient water source, guided by senior artist Janette Koongotema and Elder Perry Yunkaporta who led the walk to the waterhole.

03.01.2022 Please view 'Wik.Thayanam.Thawan' over at our Bio-Cultural YouTube Channel and share with friends and family. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/2zuxZm9Mkms

03.01.2022 Ayyang! Walk with Irene Pootchemunka on her journey to making one of her iconic cultural masterpieces AKA the Aurukun 'fruitbowl'. In Episode 2 of our collaborative mee'-aathan series between the Wik and Kugu Art Centre and Aurukun Indigenous Knowledge Centre, we take a deeper look into the significance of Wik artistic practices such as fruitbowl weaving and the important Biocultural bush knowledge that is needed to pull off one of these impressive masterpieces. Wik-Mungkan ...Language term: Kunchan kangk (pandanus fibres) Biocultural practice: Fruitbowl weaving and pandanus collection Location: Aurukun Artist: Irene Pootchemunka Produced by Woyan-min Biocultural Project https://youtu.be/rfe_D6XY140

02.01.2022 Thanks to Wik Elders once again for sharing their knowledge with students and staff from Koolkan Aurukun State School The "Wik Outdoor Living Classroom" will continue after the holiday break with students and Elders continuing their shared learning journey with a focus on Language, Culture and the Environment. Those involved in the newly established program have expressed their satisfaction with the great learning opportunities embedded in an "outdoor classroom approach" especially in supporting strong Language and Culture.

01.01.2022 Week 4 of Outdoor Living Classroom lessons at Koolkan Aurukun State School were again in full swing today under the famous school mango trees. IKCs Woyan-min Project facilitated digital documentation of the lesson with resources being developed for in-class use by students and teachers. Wik cultural practice: Boiling Paamp (red bush dye). Kunchan kangk (pandanus fibres) are naturally white in colour but the fibres take on deep shades of deep brown/red once placed into ...boiling dye pots. Students who took part in the lesson learnt from their Elders how to prepare paamp, an important Wik cultural practice that has been passed down from generation to generation. Thanks to Wik Elders for sharing their knowledge with the students/staff and also to the Wik and Kugu Aurukun Art Centre for supporting back-end logistics.

01.01.2022 Ayyang ! Aurukun Indigenous Knowledge Centre's Biocultural Production Team has been developing an exciting new short film series (shot pre-COVID). 'ngan aak kangk.ak mo.an: walking Wik Country series' is all about the importance of Living Languages such as Wik-Mungkan and the inseparable relationship shared with the Land.... This is a short intro to the series before Episode #1 is released very soon..enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm4m4KSCWwA&feature=youtu.be

01.01.2022 Indigenous celebrity, actor, comedian and all-round nice guy Ruchook Festival M.C Sean Choolburra was ultra keen to get a photo of the Aurukun Dancers. My favourite dance team he told the crowd.