Hosted by the Yothu Yindi Foundation, Garma is a celebration of the cultural traditions of the Yolngu people, and a major community gathering for the clans and families of the Arnhem Land region.
It is held at Gulkula, a significant Gumatj ceremonial site about 40 kilometres (25 mi) from the township of Nhulunbuy, attracts more than 2500 guests each year and is often sold out months in advance.
After winning the 2022 election earlier that year, he had promised to hold a referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, so he was greeted with hope and excitement.
[7] After the 2023 referendum had failed to pass, Albanese was more subdued, and spoke about more practical measures he was planning, to empower Indigenous Australians economically.
In these highly significant ceremonies, men, women and children from the 13 Yolngu clan groups perform a dance unique to northeast Arnhem Land.
During these performances, the senior holders of the Yolngu songlines share with guests their stories of manikay (song), accompanied by the call of the yidaki (didgeridoo) and the rhythm of the bilma (clapsticks).
[17] Held over three days, the Garma Key Forum has become an important platform for the discussion and debate of Indigenous issues and policy, attracting political, business, academic, and philanthropic leaders from Australia and overseas.
[20][21][22][23] Set in a grove of stringy-bark trees adjacent to the bunggul grounds, the open-air Gapan Gallery features limited edition artworks from a range of local and regional arts centres.
Workshops include instruction in the local Yolngu Matha language, kinship lessons, 'Learning on Country' walks, spear-making, and basket-weaving.
[24] Music has always been a major feature of the Garma program, showcasing the distinctive Arnhem Land sound and providing a platform for new and emerging regional acts as well as more established Top End bands and singers.
[25][26] Garma is held at Gulkula, a significant Gumatj ceremonial site in northeast Arnhem Land, in a stringy-bark forest atop an escarpment overlooking the Gulf of Carpentaria.
[citation needed] In 1964, many of the trees on the escarpment at Gulkula were bulldozed and then burnt by the Department of Works so the Gove Down Range Guidance and Telemetry Station could be built.
At the time, the Yolngu owners had no rights in Australian law, and they were unable to prevent the European Launcher Development Organisation from installing a rocket tracking station on the ceremonial site.
[citation needed] The purpose of the station was to track the path of rockets launched from Woomera in South Australia, and its state-of-the-art technology was operated by mainly Belgian scientists.
[28][2] The proposed site covers 65 hectares (160 acres), and had by 2019 been sub-leased to Equatorial Launch Australia (ELA) by the Gumatj people.