Duurunu Miru Dancers perform during the smoking ceremony on Thaua Country. Photos: Marion Williams.
The Giiyong Festival celebrated culture, connection and Mother Earth with a packed program of traditional dancing and First Nations contemporary musicians, along with knowledge sharing through presentations, yarns, panel discussions and workshops.
People from Cape York and beyond travelled to NSW’s largest Aboriginal festival, on Thaua Country at Jigamy, just north of Eden, on 22 November.
The Docker River Band came from the Western Australian/Northern Territory border to perform their chilled Aboriginal reggae music. In the lead-up to the festival, they also worked with local high school students on songwriting and playing musical instruments. The workshops resulted in the students recording two songs.
Throughout the day, the ground rumbled as traditional dance groups performed, watched by large crowds. Joining them were the Burrundi Dancers, a contemporary dance group from Sydney, and the Eden and Pambula School Dancers.
Multi-generational group Duurunu Miru Dancers got the ball rolling with a mesmerising performance at the smoking ceremony to formally open the festival.
Headlining the contemporary line-up of musicians was ARIA Award-winning First Nations rap supergroup 3%, Coloured Stone, who have been performing for 48 years, and the Docker River Band. People were still arriving at 4 pm to see those acts take to the stage.
Earlier in the day, locals Nathan Lygon and Kyle Wilson made their debut as electronic music duo Boondi, bringing with them the power of the didgeridoo.
The Gudu Dancers were part of a packed program of performers.
Revitalising language was another theme, with locals Tamika Townsend and Emma Stewart singing in language as Yaala, and multi-generational Yuin choir Djinama Yilaga, with their songs in language, drew a strong emotional response, as always.
Among the many stallholders were community members who are part of the Yuin Digital Keeping Place. For three years, people including renowned artist Cheryl Overton (Davison), Aunty Tricia Ellis AOM, Lynne Thomas, Uncle BJ Cruse, Uncle Bunja Smith, and Aunty Vivienne Mason have been building a website to honour, maintain and share Yuin knowledge, language and culture for future generations.
The online portal houses more than 160 short films, three language dictionaries, and cultural and historical documentation drawn from state institutions, local archives, and personal collections. It was developed in collaboration with national organisation SharingStories Foundation. The website was launched at the Giiyong Festival.
The festival facilitated knowledge sharing with workshops on shell art, spear-making and a child-friendly session on possum skin drums.
Shane Herrington of Wolgalu Footprints held a workshop about traditional stone tools. Among the many stones he talked about was green band chert, which is used for making blades.
Regular Gardening Australia presenter Clarence Slockee held a kids’ music workshop and a highly entertaining and informative session on native plants.
The well-attended workshop on stone tools by Shane Herrington of Wolgalu Footprints.
A panel discussion with four young people indicated the future is in good hands.
Some had overcome incredible adversity to get where they are today, supporting other Aboriginal youth to find their way and becoming leaders in their own right. They work for Local Land Services, Local Aboriginal Land Councils, Campbell Page and APM Employment Services.
As the discussion moderator Dre Wicks said: “These young people are not an afterthought. They are kicking in doors for young Aboriginal people and we are ready to take our seats at the table.”
Experts in Aboriginal astronomy and cultural burning shared their knowledge and perspectives. A recurring theme was they were still waiting on Western science to catch up with their ancient knowledge.
This year, Twofold Aboriginal Corporation took over as lead producer from South East Arts, and the baton passing was faultless. There was something for everyone and the odd rain shower did not deter anyone from enjoying everything the festival had to offer.
Alison Simpson, Giiyong Festival artistic director and co-CEO and cultural manager at Twofold, said she had received positive feedback about the festival. Additionally, workshops and other activities in the lead-up to the event were valuable for building the community’s skills and capacity to do more in the arts space.
She thanked everyone who had supported the festival, from sponsors and stallholders to those who bought tickets.
It was a huge day, with more than 200 Aboriginal performers and presenters, 90 registered volunteers and 50 Aboriginal arts, craft, information and food vendors. Tallying is still underway, but an estimated 3000 people came through the gates, similar to last year.
