Garma is back! After a two-year hiatus (pandemic-enforced), the massive celebration of Yolŋu culture has returned.
Thousands of people from all over Australia descend on Arnhem Land for three days of festivities, including music, food, Buŋgul and so much more.
It is also a significant political event, often a stage for high-end talks that can set the agenda for Aboriginal and Torres Strait affairs for the coming year.
Where, how and why did the festival originate? Take a look back at some of its defining moments.
A Yothu Yindi barbecue
The very first Garma was held just before the turn of the millennium, in 1999.
It was conceived by the Yothu Yindi Foundation, which itself had been set up nine years earlier, and represented the five regional clans in Arnhem Land: the Gumatj, Rirratjingu, Djapu, Galpu and Wangurri.
Led by Galarrway Yunupingu and the late Dr M Yunupingu, the first festival was a small-scale event, little more than a backyard barbecue.
But it had grand dreams: its mission was to discuss the health and wellbeing of Yolŋu people, improve standards of living for all First Nations people all over the country, and be a meeting place for leaders, Blak and white.
The word 'Garma' is Yolŋu matha for "two-way learning process".
Dhapanbal Yunupingu, the daughter of Dr M Yunupingu, remembered the humble origins of the first event in 2018.
"We were only little. Dad picked his camp. My uncles picked their camp. There were five white fellas who came. There were no tents, two cars, and a BBQ. Our chef slept next to the back of the ute in a swag."
A sacred place
Garma is held on the sacred Gumatj Buŋgul ground of Gulkula.
It sits in a stringy-bark forest atop an escarpment overlooking the Gulf of Carpentaria. It is among these trees that the Yolŋu ancestor Ganbulapula would search for honey, using his walking stick to hit the trees and so disturb the bees.
It was there also that Garrtjambal, the creator spirit in the form of a great Red Kangaroo, sent its life force through the land, and gave Ganbulapula a staff made of the power of his tail.
It has been a place of renewal and replenishment for the Yolŋu for generations, and so too does it now provide a place for this living culture to breath new life into the old stories, and look forward to the challenges that approach.
The Gulkula site, where thousands of campers descend for the Garma Festival. Source: yyf.com.au
Culture, ancient and alive
Celebration of culture is one of the driving forces at Garma. It has long been a magnet for the leading cultural figures of the day, while also giving place and reverence to ancient, living traditions.
One of the festival's most well-known images is the nightly Buŋgul, held at 4pm each evening over the three days.
Men, women and children perform dance in traditional paint and dress, while senior members of the 13 Yolngu clans present the Songlines, maintaining connection to ancient culture.
Amongst the groves of the stringy-barks is the Gapan Gallery, featuring art works from local and regional galleries. Music has always been central to the festival, with new and more established acts from the Top End and elsewhere perform.
Culture workshops and youth forums also are mainstays of the event.
Culture, art and music are all mainstays of Garma Festival. Source: Supplied
A political heavyweight
Garma's political objectives were always clear, with its emphasis on positive health outcomes for mob part of its founding brief.
Over the decades, the political establishment has taken increasing notice of the significance of the annual summit of Indigenous leaders, and the festival has seen attendance from the country's top echelons.
Opposition leader Kim Beasley visited in 2006; Tony Abbott pledged to become the "prime minister for Indigenous affairs" at the 2013 festival; Noel Pearson, Patrick Dodson, Mick Gooda, and Nova Peris all spoke at the 2015 event.
In this year's guidebook, Yothu Yindi Chariman Galarrway Yunupingu welcomed the change of government.
"A new Prime Minister who brings a lifetime of knowledge of the world of government and the promise of new pathways. In addition, we host a new Chief Minister who brings a lifetime of knowledge and experience in the Territory to her leadership."
NITV will be broadcasting from Garma Festival Friday 29 July - Monday 1 August, including daily live coverage, updates and highlights across NITV’s platforms.
Former PM Bob Hawke speaks with Galarrway Yunupingu at the 2014 Garma. Source: ABC Australia
