2026 Nulungu Reconciliation Lecture

Ryingah Nganjal is a contemporary cultural experience where ancient Karajarri song traditions meet immersive cinematic sound. 
 
Led by Yatangal, Ylaliny and Nurrugul, the performance brings the Pintirri Songline to life through language, story and song, woven together with expansive synthesiser textures and ambient soundscapes. 
 
Rather than recreating the past, Ryingah Nganjal presents living culture in a timeless space where ancient voices and contemporary sound exist together. The music dissolves the boundary between tradition and modernity, inviting audiences to experience culture beyond ordinary ideas of time. 
 
Rooted in the Jila, living water places and the Pukarrikarra, each performance honours the enduring relationship between people, Country and cultural knowledge. Contemporary sound becomes another way of carrying these stories forward while remaining grounded in Karajarri tradition. 
 
Ryingah Nganjal is an intimate listening experience that invites reflection, connection and deep listening. It demonstrates that culture is not something preserved in the past, but something living, evolving and continuing to speak to the present.

Date:  20 August 2026

Time:  6:00pm to 8:00pm

Registration closes:  18 August 2026

Acknowledgement of Country

The University of Notre Dame Australia is proud to acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of this land upon which our University sits. The University acknowledges that the Fremantle Campus is located on Wadjuk Country, the Broome Campus on Yawuru Country and the Sydney Campus on Gadigal Country.

About the lecture

The Nulungu Reconciliation Lecture series was first launched in August 2008 to coincide with the establishment of the Nulungu Research Institute. The lecture series was established to provide a public avenue for prominent Aboriginal speakers to contribute to ongoing discussions relating to Reconciliation. Lectures could focus on how Reconciliation might be achieved in the context of the Kimberley and beyond. The Nulungu Reconciliation Lecture has previously been delivered by notable First Nations leaders including Professor Peter Yu (Vice President First Nations Portfolio ANU), The Honourable Ben Wyatt MLA (former WA State Government Treasurer); Dr June Oscar (former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner); Mr Mick Gooda (former Royal Commissioner - Child Protection and Youth Detention Systems in the Northern Territory); and The Honourable Professor Patrick Dodson (former Labour Senator).

Program overview

5:30pm Doors Open
5:45pm Light Refreshments
6:00pm Welcome to Country
6:10pm Overview of Nulungu Reconciliation Lecture
6:20pm Introduction to Ryingah Nganjal
6:25pm Ryingah Nganjal Performance
7:25pm Questions and Answers
7:40pm Closing speech
8:00pm Event Closed

Nulungu Research Institute

Nulungu Research Institute is a Kimberley-based organisation of Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers, each with extensive practical and theoretical knowledge.

Located in Broome, Nulungu provides an Indigenous research and academic focus for the entire University – including the Notre Dame Fremantle and Sydney Campuses – and operates at local, regional, national and international levels.

The Nulungu Way

The Nulungu Way is based on relationships of trust, openness, respect and recognition of Indigenous rights, values, culture and governance and upholding values of social justice.

Contact us

If you have any questions about the Reconciliation Lecture or Nulungu Research Institute, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Email: nulungu@nd.edu.auPhone: +61 (8) 9192 0670

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