The Yanyuwa Animation Project, begun in 2007 and later housed in the Wunungu Awara – Animating Indigenous Knowledges program, is a 17-year collaborative effort to safeguard Yanyuwa Law and language through digital animation. As Elder Leonard Norman Wungunya said, “You can animate that story, but it’s got to be inside the Law,” a principle that has guided every stage of production. Since its start, Yanyuwa families, anthropologist John Bradley, animator Brent McKee, and others have produced 13 animations that document creation stories, songlines, kinship ties, and right behaviour across all four Yanyuwa clan groups. These works are not just archives but healing actions, countering colonial pressures while fostering cultural esteem and multi-generational pride. As John Bradley explains, “The process of animating the Law is just like the Law itself, based in revelation,” showing how technology can serve Indigenous protocols rather than override them. The project’s success lies in how deeply it stays inside the Law, becoming a new kind of campfire where Elders, parents, and young people gather to learn, remember, and keep Law alive.

You can explore the project’s short animated films here: https://www.youtube.com/@WununguAwara.