And so began my journey into better understanding an important issue in our county – the need to close the gap for Indigenous Australians and to afford them the constitutional recognition they deserve. 

These issues matter and, in my comfortable life and secure employment in Canberra, I had failed to engage in the debate and show my support for Indigenous Australians.

My time at Garma (meaning ‘gathering place’) over the period 1-4 Aug 2014 with the Yolgnu peoples, the who-is-who of Indigenous affairs in this country (from artists, to academics, to politicians), and others with a social justice conscience, enlightened me.

By participating in a range of cultural activities, discussion forums, and fireside (Gurtha) yarns, I have been inspired to share my experiences and views about land rights, welfare issues, and the ‘Recognise’ Campaign.

We camped out under the stars, learnt some of the songlines, a few words of the local language (Yolgnu Matha), the meaning behind their artwork, and some of the dances (Bungul) and ceremonies of the local clans. Best of all was that we were not observers, but participants. The ‘energy of Garma’ surprised me.

Garma is an annual initiative of the Yothu Yindi Foundation and is hosted by the Yolngu clans of North East Arnhem Land, on their land about 40 minutes by 4WD from Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory.

There were over 1500 participants at Garma 2014 and I was privileged to be part of the group from Reconciliation Australia. This meant that I was able to spend time with local women Elders and my sisters (Yapa) to experience traditional ceremonies such as ‘Waking Up Country’ and ‘Crying for Country’, to observe a ‘Women’s Healing’ session, and to attend a discussion on the Kinship (Gurrutu) system: the local society/clan structure.

These unique activities provided me with an insight into the lives of a culture connected to their land and one that is rich in history.

The 2014 Festival was even more remarkable because of a number of special events: the opening of the new Knowledge Centre, the release of the Forrest Report ‘Creating Parity’, the ABC’s live filming of the Q&A program, and former Prime Minister Bob Hawke as the dinner speaker.

While this may sound a little too ‘educational’ for some folk, there were so many activities for families and children to enjoy too. From spear making, bark painting, and didgeridoo (Yidaki) playing, to basket weaving, creative writing, and jewellery making, boys and girls were kept busy and enthralled for ages. For the ‘scientists’ there were astronomy and bushwalking tours and the activities continued into the night with fireside poetry recitals, live musical performances, and films. T

here is something magical about outdoor cinema viewing on a warm night and I am sure the rest of Australia and the world will soon hear more of a young Arnhem Land band called ‘East Journey’.

The local community embraced the influx of ‘white people’ (Napaki) as they held an open day at the Yirrkala School and the Mulkala Art Centre. We were fortunate to learn about the issues that really matter to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from their perspective.

For me personally, I gained a strong sense of the social justice issues and I overwhelmingly support the need for Indigenous Australians to have the same opportunities in life and level of health, education, and wellbeing as non- Indigenous Australians.

This is the message that I now share with others, when reflecting on my time at Garma.