Aurukun is an Aboriginal community in the far north west of Queensland on the Cape York Peninsula. The Shire of Aurukun covers an area of 7,500 square kilometres. It is bounded by the Holroyd River and Pormpuraaw Deed of Grant in Trust lands to the south, Cook Shire and Archer Bend National Park to the east, the Gulf of Carpentaria and Cook Shire to the north.

Evidence of ancient connection between the Wik peoples and the Melanesian peoples of the Torres Strait can be found in the ceremonial grass skirts worn by men and other artefacts, including wooden drums and elaborate full facial masks.

The various nations of the Western Cape, based around Aurukun, are collectively referred to as the Wik & Kugu peoples. There are five different clans groups within this area.  They are the Sara, Winchanam, Apalech, Putch and Wanam. 

The Wik & Kugu peoples’ lives and spirituality are inextricably linked to the land. The Indigenous peoples of the Cape maintain a diversity of living cultures and have a strong and continuing attachment to the land and the waters throughout their country. The Wik & Kugu people have culturally specific associations with the landscape, which are based on each clan’s own distinct traditions and laws. 

These cultural associations with their country may include or relate to cultural practices, knowledge, songs, stories, art, paths, landforms, flora, fauna and minerals. These associations include custodial relationships with particular landscapes. It is these very relationships that determine who can speak for particular nations.

There are no simple political linguistic groups in this area. The people do own, by right of clan birth and country, a recognised variety of languages. In the case of the Wik, all of these languages belong to a simple genetic family known as the Wik group. Language groups associated with the area are:

•     Wik (suffix meaning language followed by these extensions)

       Ngathan, Munkun, Liyanh, Ngatharr, Ep, Me'anh, Keyangan

•     Kuugu ( also meaning language followed by these extensions)

      Uwanh, Muminh, Ugbanh, Mu'inh

Adults, and most children, have variable knowledge of many of these languages, including full competence in up to four or five in some cases. Several of these languages were in advanced stages of decline and some were vertually extinct by late 1970. By 1980 Wik Munkin and English had become the dominant languages of the Aurukun area and Wik Munkin was the first language of most children. Several hundred people have partial or excellent knowledge of Wik Ngathan and most languages had at least some surviving speakers.

Aurukun has various community programs underway to develop the potential of the many young people living there as well as providing opportunities and facilities to improve the lifestyles of the residents. The art centre is part of a greater drive by the council and elders in Aurukun to attempt to initiate commercial ventures for the people of Aurukun to generate employment opportunities, work experience and develop life skills.