Rubibi Survival Day event honours Kimberley’s First Nations history

As people took to the streets around Australia this January 26, hundreds gathered at Broome’s Gimme Club to honour one of the world’s oldest cultures. Hosted by Goolarri Media, the third annual Rubibi Survival Day event was held in honour of the continued survival of Australia’s First Nations Peoples. And the rain could not keep people away. Goolarri Media chief executive Jodie Bell said the event was about celebrating the survival of Indigenous people in Australia. “We acknowledge the sadness of today for ancestors and our mob. I think it will always be a somber day... but it’s also a day to acknowledge what we’ve survived and to get where we, as a race of people, have done today is amazing,” she said. “The Kimberley was probably the last frontier that was colonized in Australia and so people here still have recent family history tied to colonization.” “Today is basically our way of saying, we’re still here and we’re not going away.” From 2:30pm till late into the night, Indigenous musicians and artists took to the stage, sharing their history and culture passed down through song. These included Olive Knight, Stellar Moon, The Krui3ers, Lyrical Insitnct, Jadadi, Mokoi and DJ Agapantha. “We’ve got eight bands coming through - Indigenous artists - playing a variety of music from different genres and basically showcasing their talent. There’ll be a lot of dancing and a lot of fun,” said Ms Bell.