Dances at Aurukun 1962

1964, 30 Minutes

This film is a record of traditional Aboriginal dancing at Aurukun Mission on Cape York Peninsula in far north Queensland. Filmed in 1962 for the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies, it showcases and preserves Wik ritual dances and ceremonies at a time when customary Aboriginal life was changing and adapting to Western culture.

Eight dances are shown: SARA - Creator From the North; ERLI-ABBIN - The Tiger Shark ; WOLKOLLIN - The Bonefish; PUNKA - The Wallaby ; PIKOWA and KINA - The Salt and Freshwater Crocodiles; TAIPAN - The Snake and WALA - The Lizard; WUKA and MUKAM - The Flying Foxes; and NINGKUSHUN - The Freshwater Shark.

A Commonwealth Film Unit Production for the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies. © 2011 National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.