Yothu+Yindi+Music

1988 marked the bi-centennary of British settlement in Australia, and it was in this year that Prime Minister Bob Hawke attended the Barunga Festival in a small Indigenous community south of Katherine. There, Galarrwuy Yunupingu and Wenten Rubuntja, presented the Prime Minister with the Barunga Statement.

The Barunga Statement called on the Australian Government to recognise the rights of Indigenous land owners and to formalise a Treaty with them. It was modelled on the Yirrkala Petition (1963) which the previous generation of Yolngu leaders had sent to the House of Representatives in protest against mining on the Gove Peninsula. Galarrwuy and Mandawuy’s own father was a signatory to this petition. On receiving the Barunga Statement (1988) at the Barunga Festival, Prime Minister Hawke vowed that his government would enter into a Treaty with Indigenous Australians by 1990. However, this promise would never be realised.

"Treaty” was composed by Yothu Yindi in collaboration with Paul Kelly and Midnight Oil to protest the failure of the Australian Government to honour the Prime Minister’s promise to Indigenous Australians at the Barunga Festival.

> Well I heard it on the radio > And I saw it on the television > Back in 1988, all those talking politicians > > Words are easy, words are cheap > Much cheaper than our priceless land > But promises can disappear > Just like writing in the sand > > Treaty yeah treaty now treaty yeah treaty now > > Nhima djat’pangarri nhima walangwalang > Nhe djat’payatpa nhima gaya nhe > Matjini ... Yakarray > Nhe djat’pa nhe walang gumurrt jararrk gutjuk > > This land was never given up > This land was never bought and sold > The planting of the union jack > Never changed our law at all > Now two river run their course > Seperated for so long > I’m dreaming of a brighter day > When the waters will be one > > Treaty yeah treaty now treaty yeah treaty now > > Nhema gayakaya nhe gayanhe > Nhe gayanhe matjini walangwalang nheya > Nhimadjatpanhe walang > Gumurrtjararrk yawirriny > Nhe gaya nhe matjini > Gaya gaya nhe gaya nhe > Matjini walangwalang > Nhema djat’pa nhe walang > Nhe gumurrtjarrk nhe ya > > Promises disappear - priceless land - destiny > Well I heard it on the radio > And I saw it on the television > But promises can be broken > Just like writing in the sand > > Treaty yeah treaty now treaty yeah treaty now > Treaty yeah treaty now treaty yeah treaty now > Treaty yeah treaty ma treaty yeah treaty ma > Treaty yeah treaty ma treaty yeah treaty ma > > For a music video follow the below links: > > With Lyrics: > Without Lyrics: > > > Taken From: > []
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