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The Rirratjingu man leading the Bunggul, and soon his people

Cedric Marika has been coming to Garma all his life. "Since I was a baby," the Rirratjiŋu man tells NITV. It's a special time, one he always enjoys. The annual Yolŋu festival, held on Gumatj Country at the sacred site of Gulkula, is celebrating its 25th year. Cedric Marika is dedicated to his culture, and his people. He dances to keep his culture alive for the next generation. Source: AAP / JAMES ROSS/AAPIMAGE A summit of political leaders, business and local community, it's a chance to discuss opportunities and challenges, and to set an agenda for the coming year. But above all it's a display and celebration of the diverse cultures of the Yolŋu clans of Northeast Arnhem Land. During the evening Buŋgul (ceremony), when singing and the droning thrum of the yidaki rings out over the central festival ground, dancers from local tribes present the cultural centrepiece of Garma Festival. The air becomes hazy, thick with the red sand of Arnhem Land, flung airborne by the dancers' bare feet and caught by the setting sun. For 20 years, Marika has performed in the Buŋgul. "Since I was 13," he says. "That's when I started performing Buŋgul, and that's when I earned the respect from the Elders and chosen to be who I am right now." He now leads the Gumatj clan (his mother's people) in the Buŋgul, a resplendent figure in ochre paint, strutting proudly through the Emu Dance, hands clasped behind his back, or the Mosquito Dance, the dispatching of irksome insects recreated in parody with rhythmic slaps to the body. Members from the Gumatj clan of the Yolngu people from north-eastern Arnhem Land prepare for the Buŋgul. Source: AAP / JAMES ROSS/AAPIMAGE Marika describes the feeling of dancing in simple terms. "I feel connected," he says. "I feel connected to the land, to the animals, to the people. "This has been passed on from generation to generation, to keep it alive." Edgar Wells, the Methodist minister who once worked at the Yirrkala mission, described his view of the importance of art to the Yolŋu. "In an Aboriginal scale of values, a man worthy of a doctorate would ... be an artist - the hunter would help to feed the artist." Marika is proof of that. His dedication to his people and his culture has seen him anointed for future leadership of the Gumatj. "I've earned that respect from the Elders," he says. "By participating different tribes, helping them, and most of all helping my mother's tribe." He has particular concerns about the role of technology in the area. While a constant theme of Garma is the push by organisers Yothu Yindi Foundation for more economic participation for the region's people, it goes hand in hand with a wish to protect culture. Old and young perform at the Bunggul. The festival, in its 25th year, has seen babies grow into leaders over its lifetime. Source: AAP / JAMES ROSS/AAPIMAGE The opportunities some digital innovations may provide can't come at the risk of a loss of culture. "Nowadays, it's all technology taken over ... The worry is that it's taking over our culture, and might destroy it in the future. "I'm very, very scared of that. "So this is the day to get the little ones together, teach them where they belong and what they have." Every Buŋgul, Marika does just that, the living embodiment of the chain of cultural heritage going back generations. Once an enthusiastic youth joining in, now Marika watches over the young djamarrkuli (children) who perform in the Buŋgul, just as he did. "That is my goal, to help the younger ones, the very younger ones too, so that they don't forget what we have," he says. "Some of them might learn how to sing. Some of them might become a role model like myself. "There's a lot of opportunities for the younger ones to step in."