Indigenous peoples have been amazingly adaptive and creative with new media technologies, applying them to their own life ways and maintaining cultural boundaries rather than simply assimilating into the dominant social order. Communities that survived the cataclysmic forces of colonization are now telling their stories and constructing new forms of cultural power in the digital age.
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) is increasing changing the way people want to consume media and tell a story. For Indigenous people its not just the entertainment value that VR and AR offer, the new emerging technologies offer an opportunity to share stories that are thousands of years old and pass on traditional knowledge onto the next generation.
This year NITV had the rare opportunity to film the welcoming ceremony at annual Garma festival in the Northern Territory.
Tanya Denning-Orman, NITV Channel Manager, said: “Digital technology is playing a vital role in the survival and revival of Indigenous ceremonies, empowering communities to share their remarkable stories of preservation, whilst capturing culture for future generations.”
Source: NITV
When you watch the Welcome to Garma 360 video you will get a true sense of what takes place Garma and experience the iconic dancing ceremonies held within the Bungul.
Source: NITV
Ben Smith, Producer added: “My role in this project was to ensure that the video was authentic and that we followed the cultural protocols of the community and this is what we as Indigenous TV/Digital producers have to do to give you a true experience of Indigenous Australia. This is why NITV is so important.” 
Welcome to Garma be viewed by downloading the SBS VR app to your phone.
Source: NITV
