G A R M A | Arnhem Land
It begins with the melodious drone of the yidaki, vibrating across the open space and settling within you. The crowd stills, as expectant as the raspy hum commands them to be. Then, it is the turn of the bilma to create pause, punctuating the air with the ancestral percussion created by wood against wood. The two exist in inevitable partnership, a compliment bestowed upon the other to support the chant that will soon arise.
A thin, undulating cry startles the audience, stretching deceptively across frequencies. A human sound, yet not, for when you hear it your first imagining is not of the elderly being it belongs to, but that of the wind sweeping through.
The clear rhythm of the bilma strikes up again, accompanied by the mysteriously familiar drone of the yidaki. If earth could sing, this is what it would sound like.
Red sand, soft, explodes into the air as hardened soles slam into the earth to leave deep grooves. Shrill cries resonate as the women move swiftly, feet rising and coming down in a pulsating rhythm that swirls their colourful skirts in a tangled blur, their heads bowed with concentration as arms sweep deftly back and forth. Shoulders heave with exertion, eyes bulge with passion, mouths are pursed with fierce determination or agape with fervency.
A slender young man, his torso writhing so adeptly in impersonation of the snake that one who is frightened by the reptilian creature recoils, waiting for him to hiss and strike out.
Young boys, on the cusp of becoming men, their faces bright with the enthusiasm of a child, animatedly mirror the movements of the older men. The young women tend to show a little more reserve, just shy enough in their movement to not realise they carry the same quiet dignity as the older females kicking up the sand with familiar confidence.
It is vibrant, it is powerful and it is witnessed with jaw widened in astonishment. This is Yolngu bunggal, the infinite variations of ceremonial dance that embodies the intricacies of Yolngu culture. Intertwined with manikay (songlines), reverence of ancestral beings and portrayal of creation stories, bunggal is central to cultural strength in North East Arnhem Land. It is not only a proud display of Aboriginal culture, but an invitation to non-Indigenous viewers to step into a Yolngu reality and foster understanding. It is the pinnacle of Garma, the drawcard that leaves the crowd slightly breathless and unwilling to leave long after the chants have faded and the dust has settled.
Garma is touted as Australia’s leading political forum for developing economic opportunities for First Nations communities. The four-day event attracts the political, economic and intellectual elite to protect and strengthen Aboriginal culture while forming an economic agenda able to sustain and empower Australia’s first peoples. Presented by the Yothu Yindi Foundation, Garma is centred on sharing traditional knowledge systems and customs in a contemporary setting. While it exists largely as a national platform for development of business, corporate action plans and partnerships focused on stemming economic disadvantage, the rich cultural immersion and presentation of Yolngu antiquity and knowledge is truly responsible for ingraining deep respect and recognition of Aboriginal culture and strength.
Held in the vast, confronting and breathtaking corner of Australia that is East Arnhem Land, Garma takes place on the sacred Gulkala site located 30 minutes from the township of Nhulunbuy.
For information on the forum, ticket prices and travel advice, visit the Yothu Yindi Foundation website at http://www.yyf.com.au/.
