Everyone knows about Santa Claus, but have you heard of Wangkarnal the Christmas crow?

ABC NEWS (Australia)

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.

Transcript

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.

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