澳大利亚外交部长Penny Wong在东北阿纳姆地举行的Garma Festival上表示，第一民族与太平洋地区长达数百年的历史联系对澳大利亚具有战略价值[1]。Wong指出，"第一民族人民在欧洲人到来前数百年就将澳大利亚与世界联系起来"[1]，这一重要的历史纽带曾被长期忽视，如今已成为澳大利亚外交政策的关键组成部分[1]。她强调"我们不是一个单一文化，从来都不是"[1]。
本次活动汇聚了来自东巴布亚新几内亚、马绍尔群岛、基里巴蒂、所罗门群岛、斐济、巴布亚新几内亚、帕劳、汤加等多个太平洋国家的领导人参与[1]。土著事务部长Malarndirri McCarthy分享了土著民族与印尼马卡萨人之间的文化贸易联系历史，提及"50年前，Yanyuwa人民是第一批在北领地土著土地权利法下接受测试的人"[1]。
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has emphasized the historical ties between First Nations peoples and the Pacific region as strategically vital to the country's diplomatic engagement.[1] Speaking at the Garma Festival in northeast Arnhem Land, Wong highlighted that Indigenous Australians connected the continent with the wider world centuries before European arrival.[1] She stressed that Australia's identity has never been monolithic, positioning First Nations relationships with Pacific nations as an increasingly central component of Australian foreign policy.[1]
Wong's remarks were made during an event attended by leaders from across the Pacific, including representatives from East Papua New Guinea, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Palau, and Tonga.[1] Indigenous Affairs Minister Malarndirri McCarthy contributed to the discussion by recounting the historical cultural and trading connections between Aboriginal peoples and the Makassan people of Indonesia.[1]