BARUNGA SPIRIT LIVES ON IN ANNUAL FESTIVAL

THIRTY-four years ago, then Prime Minister Bob Hawke was handed a 1.2sq m sheet of painted composite wood while visiting a remote Territory community festival, 80km down a dirt highway from Katherine,

The painted bark piece – both an artwork and a political treatise – called on the Australian government to recognise the rights of Aboriginal people, calling for land, social and economic rights, self-determination and compensation among other things.

This artwork, which became known as the Barunga Statement, surrounded the calls for action written in English, with the artistic symbolism of the Yolngu, Madarrpa, Gumatj, Trial Bay area, Arrernte and Warlpiri people.

It was handed to the prime minister at the annual Barunga Sport and Cultural Festival in 1988.

On receiving the Barunga Statement, Mr Hawke stated his government was “committed to work for a negotiated Treaty with Aboriginal people”.

That promise of Treaty between the federal government with the First Nations people went unfulfilled, but to this day the Barunga Statement has been on display in the federal parliament. Commemorated by Yothu Yindi’s song Treaty, Barunga has become known as the birthplace of the ongoing demands for Treaty.

“All those talking politicians. Words are easy, words are cheap. Much cheaper than our priceless land. But promises can disappear. Just like writing in the sand.”

Three decades on and that spirit of political activism, artistic expression and cultural joy lives on and thrives at the Barunga Festival. The festival has become an important forum for sharing ideas, showcasing the Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander cultures and talent, and engaging with social and political issues.

About 3000 people from across the Territory are expected to take part in the three-day festival, showcasing Black excellence from across the bush. Among modern ideas, the program includes workshops, dancing ceremonies, traditional bush tucker-gathering, didgeridoo-making, basket weaving and musical performances and sport

For Territorians, events such as these are not only a celebration of arts and culture – as our politics and new ideas are inextricably intertwined with our moments of joy

Rightly so, Barugna has become a much cherished event on the dry season annual calendar. After being postponed in 2020 due to Covid, it is fantastic to see the festival up and thriving for the second year in a row.