KARIJINI EXPERIENCE RETURNS

Banjima Traditional Owner Maitland Parker. Image Credit: Ngaarda Media

The Karijini Experience Festival kicked off on Wednesday night, after being postponed for three years due to Covid.

The festival is usually held every year in Karijini National Park in the Pilbara, and Hosted by Traditional Banjima Owners.

The lineup includes First Nations music acts, craft art workshops, and even yoga sessions.

Banjima Traditional Owner Maitland Parker kicked off the celebration with a Welcome To Country Ceremony.

Mr Parker used the event to encourage people to make up their own minds about the Voice To Parliament referendum, which will take place later this year.

'“Have a look at these acts and policies… make up your mind to how you vote,” he said.

Mr Parker said the Voice To Parliament Debate was a chance to change Australian history for the better.

“It’s about bloody time things change for us,” he said.

Maitland’s Daughter Johnnell Parker also spoke at the opening, and thanked elders past and present for making the Karijini Experience possible.

“I stand before you under the beautiful night sky of the Banjima land with profound gratitude in our hearts to honor and express our deepest appreciation to all our Banjima elders who are present, and to those who have passed,” she said.

“It is through their wisdom guidance and unwavering support that our communities have grown and thrived caring for the legacy of our ancestors and making days like these possible.

“You have paved the way for us through your countless sacrifices perseverance and resilience. Thank you for your unconditional love.

Your contribution to ensuring that Banjima culture is alive and celebrated is due to your unwavering desire to keep us strong and connected.”