More than 60 years after the Bark Petitions were delivered, the 2025 Garma Youth forum have created their own

While Indigenous young people were heavily discussed at Garma, those at the heart of the issues came up with their own solutions.

Gumatj woman Sienna Stubbs of the Garma Youth Forum presented a new Bark Petition, created by the 2025 cohort.

The Garma Youth Forum is a highlight of the annual festival at Gulkula, bringing together young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from across the country.

While the issues affecting Blak kids were a recurring topic amongst the community leaders and government ministers over the weekend, the people at the heart of those issues were busy coming up with their own solutions.

Amongst some lighthearted activities, the various subjects they addressed included robotics, technology, weaving, music production, arts and policy reform.

On the festival's final day, the young people gathered to present the fruits of their works, and problems they had identified.

"Garma is only four days out of 365," said Jimmy, a Dunghutti student of Barker College.

"Every year a different group attends, beathing life into the forum.

"However it means that every year, like a campfire burning through the night full of warmth and energy, it's left to ashes by the morning.

"We struggle to develop our ideas beyond the workshop."

To this end, the 2025 cohort presented an idea for a new movement: the Fire Carriers, a national youth-led union advocating for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

The students of the 2025 Garma Youth Forum present some of the results of their work, including this homage to the 1963 Bark Petition, a new call for change.

"This is just the beginning of the fire carriers," said Gumatj woman Sienna Stubbs, formerly a student at the youth forum and now one of its facilitators.

"We want to hear the voices of young people across the continent ... There is strength in our voice.

"It's not a moment, it's a movement."

The group also took inspiration from an earlier call to action.

More than 60 years after the original Yirrkala Bark Petitions requesting land rights and compensation people for the clans of the Yolngu were presented, another will make its way to Canberra.

Daubed in ochre thumbprints, the petition awaits a thumbprint from the prime minister as well upon its delivery to Canberra when parliament resumes.

Reflecting on the many changes that have happened between the delivery of those two peitions, Stubbs said some matters had remained stubbornly unchanged.

"The rolling back of land rights, the Northern Territory intervention, high incarceration rates of our people, especially young people," she told the Garma Festival.

"Many promises made to us by governments are still unfulfilled.

"Standing on Gulkula, on Gumatj Land ... we do have a unique position as young people, lucky enough to attend this festival, to stand up and to be heard.

"This is the bark that we present."