Dare to Lead @ Garma 2006 FORUM OUTCOMES Can you see yourself in this picture? Raymattja Marika, director of the Yothu Yindi Foundation, said that some of the This is a photo of the 8th Garma Festival of Traditional Culture. key issues, considerations and actions The festival was held at a traditional meeting ground in Arnhem agreed upon by Elders as an outcome Land, NT, in September 2006. A delegation of 14 educators from the Forum include: travelled to Garma as part of a Dare to Lead group, specifically to • Affirmation of ‘both ways’ schooling attend a three-day Key Forum on Indigenous education held as part • Genuine partnerships between of the event, and more generally to experience a unique cultural gathering. all stakeholders in Indigenous In 2007 Dare to Lead aims to assist another group of educators to attend Garma. education and training More information about this opportunity will be available on the Dare to Lead website • Community input and control of next year. If you can picture yourself participating in the astonishing event pictured staffing, performance reviews and above and below, this is the time to start thinking about making it happen. content in schools • Mentoring of Indigenous secondary school students • Training for non-Indigenous staff and teachers in Indigenous schools • Better alignment of training to employment outcomes • Recognition of the value and importance of cultural practices • A report back on these actions and outcomes at the 2007 Garma Forum. Contact Andrea Harms ࡯ tel: 08 8245 9801 ࡯ e-mail: [email protected] ࡯ 2006 ࡯ ...making the difference The 14 members of the Dare to Lead delegation at Garma 2006 consisted of principals and executive personnel from a diversity of backgrounds: primary and secondary schools, Catholic, Government and Independent schools, and from different states and territories. John Aldous — Principal, Robert Hoff — Principal, Trish Noy — Principal, Prendiville Catholic College,WA Immanuel Lutheran Primary Manyallaluk CEC, NT and Chairperson, Association of School, SA “To sit back and listen to respected Principals of Catholic Secondary “For me it was a stunning cultural people talking about issues regarding Schools of Australia experience. In terms of getting an Indigenous education was a wonderful “It was a fantastic experience, very understanding of the cultures in the opportunity. I had a great time meeting rewarding but at the same time very area it was amazing. The only time we colleagues from around Australia who confronting. went off site was to visit a gallery of are as passionate about Indigenous One thing that came through strongly bark artworks. It was like the Louvre education as I am. Something that throughout the conference was that of the Indigenous world.We sat there could have been highlighted more you cannot disassociate education with an anthropologist talking us from my point of view was the many from health issues and a variety of through what we were seeing, and positive things happening at the other issues. For us city dwellers who I could have sat there for a day. moment. I think attending Garma often have little access to cultural “The forum clarified in my brain what would have enormous benefit for activity at this level, it really showed I know about the great challenges we a very wide range of educators.” the magnitude of the issues facing have in terms of Indigenous education. Indigenous communities. Apart Being there and hearing about what the Andrew Blair — President, from anything else it is a wonderful issues are is very important. I also spent Australian Secondary Principals celebration of Indigenous culture.” a lot of time talking with Indigenous Association colleagues. It is a powerful experience to “What Garma did for me was to listen to their stories and be fully aware clearly exhibit the complexity of issues of the great challenges we have ahead. around Indigenous education. It was a “Since coming back from Garma I’ve very powerful cultural experience and kept all my photos in front of me and a privileged opportunity. I was left with I look at them nearly every day. Seeing a heightened sensitivity but increased the grandparents alongside their little frustration also, because there doesn’t grandkids performing clan dances that seem to be an ongoing structure to tell traditional stories, it was a very fine implement any of the initiatives or example of teaching the next generation actions agreed upon by consensus their own culture, and passing on the in the Key Forum. This made it a stories.” bittersweet experience.” Andrea Harms — National Susan Boucher — Chief Coordinator, Dare to Lead Executive Officer, APAPDC “It was just astonishing. I think an “It is a great opportunity for principals experience of complete immersion and from all over Australia to participate in enculturation like that can’t help but a profound learning experience. One of change your perspective. Being there the key things is the length of time you at that traditional meeting place, used have there where you focus solely on for ceremonial interaction for so long, Garma.You can’t take the world of somewhere steeped in symbolism and work with you — there are no e-mails, meaning, was very special. Another no mobile phone coverage — so very aspect for me was to be part of a quickly you move your focus and small white minority surrounded by realise that this is an important place black faces, an interesting reminder to be. Being there and experiencing the of what the usual situation is for Yolngu people’s respect for country Indigenous people, including kids and culture was a reminder of how in our schools. Most of all, you just important it is for non-Indigenous feel so privileged to have a chance Australians to keep striving to increase to experience the integrity and the small amount we truly understand richness of the culture.” about Indigenous Australia.” What is Garma? THE GARMA KEY FORUM Garma implies many things for Yolngu Part of the Garma Festival every year is a Key Forum. In 2006 it addressed (Aboriginal people of north-east Indigenous education and training. It focused on past and present education Arnhem Land), as a practice and as policy and practice and examined ways to build and adapt non-Indigenous a place. Garma happens when people and Indigenous capacities to learn together, as well as paying special attention with different ideas and values come to work-readiness and on-the-job training programs. Dare to Lead national together and negotiate knowledge in coordinator Andrea Harms was one of the many specialist speakers invited to a respectful learning environment. The participate in workshops, panel discussions and learning exchanges. Garma Festival at Gulkula creates this Past Key Forum themes have included Law, Health, Art, Environment, kind of environment for Yolngu and Livelihoods and Leadership, and Indigenous Cultural Livelihoods. Balanda (non-Indigenous Australians). “For the Yolngu people, the most important part of Garma is probably the Regarded as one of Australia’s most bunggul,” Alan James, founder and manager of the Yothu Yindi Foundation says. significant Indigenous festivals, the “For the majority of people from interstate and overseas, however, the centerpiece Garma Festival attracts around 20 clan of the event is the Key Forum.We strive towards producing documents from these groups from north-east Arnhem Land, events that are powerful and influential and can be used for policy and strategy as well as representatives from clan by governments. The task now is for Charles Darwin University to produce a groups and neighbouring Indigenous meaningful report across what is obviously such an important and complex topic. peoples throughout Arnhem Land, Beyond that, we are also focused on Reconciliation and awareness. the Northern Territory and Australia. “This year we had over 450 people registered for the Key Forum and the The Garma Festival is a celebration feedback I’ve had has been overwhelmingly positive. We achieve a level of of the Yolngu cultural inheritance. The networking you couldn’t get if the event was in Canberra of Sydney. It is not a Garma ceremony is aimed at sharing normal forum environment; you are grounded together for three days and nights, knowledge and culture, and opening and a lot of important dialogue takes place at an informal level.” people’s hearts to the message of the land at Gulkula. The site at Gulkula (14 km from Gove airport) has profound meaning for Yolngu. Set in a stringybark forest with views to the Gulf of Carpentaria, Gulkula is where the ancestor Ganbulabula brought the Yidaki (didjeridu) into being among the IN 2007… Gumatj people. The festival is designed to encourage the practice, preservation Dare to Lead is eager to hear from school leaders who would like to join a group and maintenance of traditional dance going to Garma in 2007. Participants need to have a personal and professional (bunggul), song (manikay), art and commitment to the project. Involvement will not just be attending the event, but ceremony on Yolngu lands. also subsequent ‘value-adding’ through providing information to colleagues. Garma is organised by the Yothu Yindi It is worth noting that the accommodation is very basic. One 2006 participant Foundation, a not-for-profit Aboriginal recommended attending, “as long as you don’t mind roughing it a bit”, while charitable corporation. another mentioned the difficulties of sleeping in a two-man tent suffused with campfire smoke. Both emphasised, however, how rewarding their overall (Information from experiences had been. www.garma.telstra.com) Further details will be on the website as they come to hand, but early expressions of interest can be lodged with the Dare to Lead office: [email protected] The Dare to Lead project is funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Education, Science and Training.