GARMA FESTIVAL, 8-12 AUGUST 2008

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Day 1, Friday 8 August

10th anniversary festival scores several ‘firsts’

Australia’s premier Indigenous cultural exchange event, the Garma Festival, celebrating its 10th anniversary, was opened by Jenny Macklin, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs who became the first Indigenous Affairs minister to open the festival held annually at Gulkula, near Nhulunbuy, North-East Arnhem Land, on Saturday.

Garma has grown to become the most significant Indigenous cultural event in Australia for Indigenous Australians and this year the theme of its key forum is “Indigenous Knowledge: Caring For Culture And Country”.

It features an expanded set of key conferences and discussions, on topics including Indigenous water knowledge, climate change, land use management and economic development. There is also a youth forum, multi-media and contemporary music training programs and a cultural tourism program.

More than 2500 people from all over the Northern Territory and around Australia are attending this year’s festival which marks a number of firsts.

• The first time dancers from the Wadeye community have attended Garma. They opened proceedings in the famous nightly bunggul.
• Several national Indigenous leaders are attending for the first time.
• Members of the Warruwi people, the traditional owners of the Goulburn Islands, came for the first time along with many other groups from around the Northern Territory and beyond.
• An expanded set of forums, conferences and discussions including a major Indigenous Economic Development conference, is being held.
• An expanded music performance program.

At the opening Ms Macklin announced funding for the YYF of $375,000 and described Garma as a way for “Australia and the world to learn about the Yolngu way of life”. She announced the grants in conjunction with Peter Garrett, the Environment, Heritage and Arts Minister.

“It features inspiring cultural events plus [it] fosters dialogue and lively discourse on issues to promote Indigenous culture, economic development and social empowerment,” Ms Macklin said. “It is universally recognised as a melting pot of Yolngu people and artists, international visitors and corporate, community and government leaders.”

She passed on a message from Mr Garrett commending Dr Mandawuy Yunupingu for establishing the foundation in 1990 and the Garma festival nine years later.

“Dr Yunupingu has shown great vision . . . he has worked creatively for the rights and recognition of Indigenous culture, especially in areas of employment and training,” Mr Garrett said. “It is especially appropriate that Garma 2008 coincides with the International Day for the World’s Indigenous People.”

After dinner the crowd watched performances by school bands and Saltwater.

Gapan Gallery opening stirs spirits

The Gapan Gallery is among the white-washed gum trees at the end of a winding pathway lit by tea lights. In darkness the haunting sound of the yidaki (didjeridu) called across its homeland and the display of prints was officially opened.

This year the gallery is showcasing new etchings using a rare technique known as “soft ground”. The works pay homage to an incredible set of drawings collected by anthropologists Ronald and Catherine Berndt in 1946. The new works by current leaders of Yolngu printmakers of Buku-Larrnggay emulate the stunning vibrancy of the original works. The technique allows the artists to tell their current stories using pencils and allows their marks on the etching plate with the effect that the finished works look as if they were drawn with pencil.

Two-day conferences

Two landmark two-day conferences – the Indigenous Water Interest Knowledge Exchange and The Climate Change Conference – concluded today.

The expert water exchange was convened by the United Nations University Traditional Knowledge Institute in collaboration with the North Australia Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA) to share international experience and perspectives to help identify and advocate around Indigenous interests in water. The conference will submit its findings to the UNESCO water and culture database.

The Climate Change And Land Use Management conference is an initiative to discuss the role of Indigenous Australians and the lands they own and occupy, in addressing climate change.