The Barunga Statement is a document created in 1988 at the Barunga Festival. It was signed by the then Prime Minister Bob Hawke and is a statement of commitment to Indigenous rights and self-determination. The statement calls for the recognition of Indigenous land rights, the establishment of a Treaty between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, and the implementation of a national policy of self-determination for Indigenous Australians. The statement is seen as a major milestone in the struggle for Indigenous rights in Australia. Yothu Yindi went on to write the worldwide hit “Treaty” as a result of this gathering at the Barunga Festival.
The Barunga Statement was the result of years of discussion. The document was painted by several artists who represented different Traditional Owners across Northern and Central Australia.
The left hand side of the statement was painted by Yolngu men and shows their distinctive cross-hatching style. The panel is split into three panels with each section depicting Dreaming stories from across north-east Arnhem Land. The stories included (from top to bottom) are Crocodile Fire Dreaming of the Madarrpa people of the Blue Mud Bay area, the Crocodile Fire Dreaming of the Gumatj people of the Caledon Bay area and the Whale Dreaming of the Trial Bay area.
The right half of the document was painted by Arrernte and Warlpiri men from Central Australia and uses their well-known dot-painting style. Their side depicts the Two Women Dreaming – a story that links the major language groups of Central Australia. The painting shows women meeting at two sites in the Northern Territory with the middle section depicting the women coming together to exchange gifts and carrying the story on through their country.
Information source: Barunga Fest
