PEOPLE from across Gumbaynggirr Country and further afield came together on Saturday 2 May to celebrate connection and culture.
The Buluunggal (Mullet) Festival, in its fifth iteration, is the legacy of Gumbaynggirr elder Uncle Bud Marshall, who passed earlier this year.
Uncle Bud’s vision was to honour his ancestors’ relationship with the mullet and at the same time focus on bringing everyone in the community together to learn about Gumbaynggirr Country.
This year’s festival saw a record number of participants – at least 500, according to organisers.
A special part of the day was the coming together of Gumbaynggirr and Māori cultures, with Uncle Bud’s friends and family visiting from Aotearoa (New Zealand).
The crowd loved seeing and hearing from the overseas visitors, including musicians Nopera Pikari and Kiki Marama and the kapa haka performers Te Whānau Mānihera, who shared stories about their home country and culture.
Mr Pikari, a tohunga whakairo (carver), created a large wooden carving during the festival, signifying “the joining of two cultures together.”
The carving was a collaboration with Gumbaynggirr cultural systems ecologist and cultural artist Chels Marshall and included Gumbaynggirr imagery of the mullet, Gaagal (Ocean) and Māori symbols and mythology.
When asked about the festival, Chels, who is also Uncle Bud’s niece, said, “You can see the amount of people it draws in, it just gets bigger and bigger every year.
“This place has always been an area of gathering and sharing, so we’re hoping we can keep Uncle Bud’s legacy ongoing; what he started and what he stood for.”
There were a variety of Gumbaynggirr performers including the Budaabang Bari Dancers, Yugirr Dancers, Giingan Yiiliwiyay Girrwaa Dancers, Sista Business High School Dancers and Southern Gumbaynggirr Dancers.
Musicians included Giiguy Gamambi Preschool singers, Michael Donovan, Gunganbu Band, Jumbaal Dreamin’, Emma Donovan and Têwêhikan Iskwêws (led by Cole Flett, a Metis, northern Cree woman with Blackfoot ancestry from Turtle Island).
The other star of the day was Buluunggal, with the likes of Rhys Pavey and a suite of helpers cooking up a tasty feed for everyone to share.
Asked about how it feels now to continue Uncle Bud’s legacy after his passing, his great-niece Elaine Carmady said, “It’s different, but he’s still here.
“He’s with us today and he’s given us this for a reason.
“There are so many different cultures here today.
“That’s the whole thing: bringing everyone together as a multicultural society, because that’s what we are.”
The Buluunggal Festival will return in 2027, timed to coincide with the mullet run.
By Jessica MILLER
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