Garma meaning ‘two-way learning’ is a showcase of traditional miny’tji (art), manikay (song), bunggul (dance), and storytelling. It is a meeting of the five clans and families of the region and creates space for government, corporate, and community leadership to come to listen, learn and share. Garma has become a significant annual platform for national conversations about First Nations aspirations and importantly, in 2023, the Voice Referendum.

This year Dusseldorp Forum supported a delegation of community leaders, students and teachers from Narwarddeken Academy in West Arnhem Land and Karrkad Kanjdji Trust to attend Garma to showcase their achievements in Indigenous-led education. They attended to generate greater understanding and support for First Nations-led education and to advocate for greater community decision-making about policies.

Demonstrating excellence

At the Education Panel, attended by key education decision-makers and featured live on NITV, Nawarddeken Academy demonstrated what self-determined education looks like for homeland communities. You can watch their documentary here. They also highlighted the support required to enable better access to quality bi-cultural education for other young people across the region.

A platform for young leaders

Maureen Namarnyilk, a Nawarddeken Academy student and Traditional Owner, was featured on ABC’s Q&A, filmed live at Garma, where she posed a question to the panel expressing her own aspirations and challenging leaders present with the failure of educational systems in remote NT.

Enabling vital conversations

The attendance of Nawarddeken Academy and its leadership at the Garma Festival created an opportunity for Bininj (Indigenous) to connect with other Bininj and share their work, challenges, and culture. They were able to discuss First Nations perspectives on the Voice Referendum. Karrkad Kanjdji Trust has since worked with their Bininj Directors to develop a statement of support for a yes vote that you can read here.

Connecting the dots

Garma provides the time and space to build relationships and make connections. Around the campfire and in line for food and showers, relationships were built with potential funders, policymakers, and collaborators.  

The experience of Garma confirmed that creating opportunities for partners to access existing platforms to showcase their work and connect with broader support politically and financially is really impactful.