Under the mid-morning sun beaming down over the Garma Festival site in Northeast Arnhem Land, the Garrtjambal auditorium is filled with the hum of people finding their seats and finishing their cups of coffee.

But as Yothu Yindi Foundation CEO Denise Bowden takes the stage, a sharp focus stills the air.

The power of her words reverberates across the main forum.

Some in the crowd sit in quiet respect, others dab away tears as harsh realities are laid bare.

“Despite the success that you see around you here, during your short stay on Gumatj Country, you will leave behind a world that remains in crisis mode,” Denise Bowden said in her address to the main forum on Saturday.