Djiringanj Dancers, a group of women cultural performers, singing about the “West Wind” at the Corroboree grounds, during the Yabun Festival.
The Yabun Festival is a celebration for Survival Day. The 26 of January is a national holiday that marks the day British ships arrived in Australia and began the genocide of Indigenous Australians. Survival Day is a day led by Indigenous Australians who affirm the resilience, creativity and excellence of First Australians. This year, the Invasion Day Protests, which aim to change the date and meaning of Australia Day, ended by protesters joining Yabun at the end of the march to enjoy music, stalls, cultural performances, speeches and more.
The legendary singer-songwriter-guitarist Kev Carmody was amazing at the Yabun Festival. He told fun stories, he was self depreciating but very witty, and he was inspiring.
Video and image descriptions:
Video: Aboriginal women and girls in traditional dress and body paint perform a cultural dance, singing whilst dancing around a circle, waving their arms up and down with local plants, symbolising sacred connection to country. ]
Photo 1: large crowd, majority Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. A few have pitched tents – sensible, it’s a long and hot day!
See a live update with video and photos of the Invasion Day protest in my previous post.
The Other Sociologist 