Culture

Traditional culture is important to all people in Wadeye. Wadeye is home to people from several tribal groups, language groups and over twenty clans. Each clan belongs to a particular land and dreaming sites. In community meetings at the school in the 1990s, the old people told school leaders that it is important for students to learn to know truthfully and hold onto things about their country, kin, dances, songs, totems and dreaming stories.  Local culture informs curriculum throughout the school, as well as being the focus of a dedicated cultural program.

The vast majority of resources produced for the Murrinhpatha Literacy Program in the school's Literature Production Centre are based on cultural knowledge of the Thamarrurr region; natural environment, family and kinship, country and dreamings and local history.  

Students are taken on trips to country where cultural knowledge is taught. During the dry season, bush trips are taken to the different clans’ homelands surrounding Wadeye. Students learn about finding water, bush foods, traditional medicines, totems, and dreaming stories with families who belong to that country. They learn where to go hunting and fishing.

The school operates a regular cultural program where old people and song men tell stories, teach dance, art, craft and traditional cooking. At times, students are split into their dance groups and taught traditional dance, music, language and stories. At other times, students stay together as a class or year group and learn about other clans and their countries, totems and traditional stories.