Man Spears Target from 35 Metres at Indigenous Festival

When Sammy Wurrawilya's spear struck the kangaroo target from 35 metres away, the crowd at Barunga Festival erupted in cheers.

The Groote Eylandt man, who grew up spearing pearlfish and trevally in the waters around his island home, had just won the 2026 spear-throwing competition. "When I was a little boy, I used to throw spears, go hunting," he said. "It's just concentrating, concentrating in the mind."

More than 80 people took their shot at the title, from Aboriginal community members across the Northern Territory to visiting US Marines stationed in Darwin and curious tourists. Victor Rostron, a ranger from Arnhem Land, taught participants how to craft traditional spears and throwers from ironwood, the only timber strong enough for the job.

The festival takes place every year in the remote community of Barunga, about an hour from Katherine. It's become one of Australia's most important Indigenous cultural celebrations, with a powerful history of political advocacy alongside its cultural sharing.

At the 1988 festival, traditional owners presented the Barunga Statement to Prime Minister Bob Hawke, calling for a treaty and land rights. Today, the event continues that legacy while creating space for cultural exchange and learning.

The Ripple Effect

The festival's impact reaches far beyond the spear-throwing competition. Women from Bulman's Mimal ranger group ran basket-weaving workshops, showing visitors how to naturally dye and weave fibres from the pandanus plant.

Back home, these same rangers run Learning on Country programs that take kids out bush to learn customs and languages. "A lot of things, we do with kids," said artist Elizabeth Lawrence. "Bush tucker, all the plants, trees, [we] tell them in language."

The two main languages of the Bulman area, Dalabon and Rembarranga, face an uncertain future but remain spoken by older generations. Fellow weaver Yvonne Lawrence sees hope in the younger generation's enthusiasm. "Some of our new generation wants to learn their language and we just love keeping our language to go on," she said.

As darkness fell, dancers from Groote Eylandt and Wugularr led traditional bunggul dances. Marine Jimmy Georgelevasseur, who received a ceremonial spear from Barunga elders, captured the festival's spirit. "The one thing I really like about being out here is how much of a community it is, everyone is so together," he said.

Wurrawilya heads home to Groote Eylandt with bragging rights and proof that traditional skills passed down through generations still hit their mark.