Indigenous Groups Rustic Pathways Works With In The East Kimberley  

The East Kimberley provides a beautiful location for students to have immersive aboriginal experiences. Our East Kimberley programs are designed to provide an Aboriginal cultural immersion like no other. We work with a number of different Indigenous groups throughout the region. Many of our programs in this area incorporate a visit to the town of Kununurra. The Miriwoong and Gajirrabeng people are the original inhabitants of the lands around Kununurra. On our East Kimberley programs students are encouraged to learn about and interact with local Miriwoong and Gajirrabeng people. These interactions occur in a number of ways: 

• Through community service projects with local Indigenous organisations. 
• Through Miriwoong language lessons with elders. 
• Through visits to culturally significant sites and art galleries. 

The Miriwoong culture and language is considered critically endangered. By having Rustic Pathways students learn from aboriginal experiences with the Miriwoong people, we aim to help preserve this beautiful culture. 

Another incredible Aboriginal experience we offer in the East Kimberley is a visit to the community of Billiluna. Rustic Pathways offers an on country experience. Students get the opportunity to live in community and participate in daily life in Billiluna. This type of experience is not scripted, it is a genuine immersion experience. Students may find themselves involved in some of the following activities: 

• Hunting, gathering and cooking bush foods. 
• Hearing stories about dreaming and the dreamtime. 
• Listening to and following songlines. 
• Supporting organisations in Billiluna. 
• Cross cultural engagement with elders and local community members. 
• Camping on country. 

Aboriginal Culture Experiences in the East Kimberley

• Welcome to Country Experience: Be welcomed to country by local elders with a smoking ceremony.
• Cook ups and Camp Fires: Participate in a traditional cook up and share stories with elders around the campfire. 
• On Country Experience in Billiluna Community: Learn about Indigenous culture while living on country in an Indigenous community. 
• Visit Indigenous Art Galleries and Rock Art Sites: Learn about local artists and their style of art. Sit with artists as they create and hear the stories that their artwork is based on. Visit local rock art sites with Indigenous guides. 
• Language Lessons: Participate in Indigenous language lessons with local community members. 
• Community Service Projects: Participate in service projects with Rustic Pathways’ long standing community partners. Projects may be related to Indigenous culture, the environment or human and social services. 

All of the above experiences are available for inclusion in our custom designed programs. Alternatively, contact us to learn about our pre-existing programs in The East Kimberley. 

Learn more about Aboriginal Cultural Immersion with Rustic Pathways.

**Please note all itineraries can be customised to suit schools’ curriculum requirements and ideal program length.