My feelings, thoughts, what I say, what I do & how I act on #InvasionDay#SurvivalDay is not for anyone to decide or comment on! I refuse to celebrate genocide & will never be an Australian! I am Tharawal and Yorta Yorta. My sovereignty. My identity!#AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe
The 26th of January represents Survival Day for First Nations people. Part of that day should be spent in quiet reflection on the truth of the whole Australian story. @zalisteggall ‘s idea of a minute’s silence is respectful and welcome.
Contrary to the attempts to homogenise our people, it is clear there are a multitude of takes on what this day means and how to mark the day as individuals and collectively.
While the marker has certainly shifted and the calls to change the date are being replaced with calls to abolish the date altogether, there is a collective need to address the preoccupation with the date by the colony.
Why is a date that has been set for less than three decades become such a symbol for nationalists? Why is this the proverbial sand hill they choose to pitch their fold up chair, get their Southern Cross tattoo out, ready their eskies, pluggers and Australiana board shorts for a day of chest thumping? Why is their determined ignorance with no foundation in truth or dignity more important than the maturity of this nation in addressing its historical and continuing wrongs?
One thing is for sure, the conversation will not dwindle and much to the chagrin of Morrison and those of his ilk, a symbolic gesture won’t cut it.
26 other shitty things we have to survive in January….
Despite what our name suggests, the Wild Black Women welcome in the new year with the same optimism of Karen from HR extolling her ‘new year new me’ resolutions.
A change of date will do nothing to shake Australia from its colonial-settler triumphalism
Least anyone become overly concerned, the date chosen to mark Australia Day has historically been a movable feast. For instance, July 15 was once the favoured date. While many believe that the current date – January 26 – commemorates the landing of the so-called “First Fleet” (which itself is historically inaccurate), I would expect that the date was moved from the gloom of a southern winter to mid-summer for the sake of devotees of the barbeque and patriotic lamb advertisements.
Abolish Australia Day – changing the date only seeks to further entrench Australian nationalism
We cannot seek an end to the oppression of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by cajoling the broad majority of Australians with soft entreaties of ‘change the date’. As rightly pointed out by many, changing the date of Australia Day – without the achievement of social justice or legal restitution in the form of Land Rights and Treaty – only moves the celebration of unfinished business to another date.
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