Across Australia families are preparing for the arrival of Santa Claus. But in one outback town a different Christmas icon is about to make its annual appearance. Reporter Erin Parke was invited to Gija country in northern Western Australia all to witness a uniquely Australian celebration.
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00:00He is mysterious, feathered, rarely seen, and slightly scary.
00:10His name is Wankernal and he's here to deliver presents to the children of the Warman community
00:15in the remote East Kimberley.
00:17Every year we get to celebrate our tradition again from our old people that taught us and
00:23again through Ngarangerni, our dream time, so we dress the car up to bring in the Wankernal
00:29and here to give out the kids present each year and yeah the kids love it.
00:35The tradition has its origins in the creation stories of the Gidja people, which elder Eileen
00:40Bray teaches to children at the local school.
00:43Wankernal and the eagle are the dreaming of Warman.
00:48I was told they were brother and sister, they got same skin like Ngarangerni and Jangerni
00:54like me.
00:55Wankernal is the Gidja word for crow.
00:59We don't have Santa here, never had him for about 50 years.
01:04We still carry our tradition, which is the crow.
01:09Wankernal the crow has been part of Christmas celebrations here since the 1970s, when Gidja
01:14elders established the Warman community and invited the Catholic Church to help them develop
01:18a two-way learning system at the local school.
01:21We need to keep our language and culture strong and the young people need to find a job as
01:30well.
01:31Wankernal is now the highlight of the annual school Christmas concert, with excitement
01:35building ahead of his arrival.
01:37Feeling gula gula that Wankernal is coming today, tonight.
01:42A lot of people are going to be here.
01:47After music and awards, it's time to summon Wankernal, who is tonight travelling as a
01:58pair.
01:59As you can hear there's lots of terrified screams but also a lot of laughter here at
02:07Ngunnawalumpin school as Wankernal has arrived.
02:11There's a looming thunderstorm but so far the rain has held off and everyone's in very
02:15good spirits.
02:16The Wankernal, the black crow, looks scary, black, feathers, long nose.
02:23It's been pretty good having Wankernal come to give us a present today and I'm happy that
02:31we got a present from him.
02:35After a feed, it's time for the Wankernal crow to rest his wings.
02:39Disappearing into the night for another year.