Despite calls to #changethedate, the date for the celebration of Australia's official national day remains unchanged for January 26.
It's the date of British Captain Arthur Phillip's 1788 arrival, along with 11 first fleet convict ships at Sydney Cove. Captain Phillip planted the Union Jack, marking the beginning of the British colony of Australia, nearly two decades after fellow Captain James Cook hoisted his flag on 17 August 1770, claiming New South Wales for Great Britain.
The day remains a source of deep pain for many First Nations people, marking the start of Indigenous dispossession, and commemorated by 'Survival' and 'Invasion' day memorials and protests.
Despite the date of Australia Day in the past, and growing calls for a more inclusive date to respect Indigenous history and the immigrant contribution to modern Australia, there has been no official proposal to #changethdate.
So besides 'liking' that post, if you support the view that something needs to change, here are some options:
1. Attend an event led by Indigenous Australians
Check out the following festivals in Sydney you can join on January 26, subject to COVID restrictions. Obtain a ticket to attend the in Sydney. There's also the - an annual celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture held at Victoria Park in Camperdown in Sydney.
2. Read widely to understand Indigenous perspectives
Check out work by Indigenous writers and intellectuals. Bruce Pascoe's critically acclaimed book challenges some of the myths of Australia's colonial history. Pascoe's history references diary entries from early colonialists describing sophisticated Indigenous agriculture and aquaculture settlements prior to white settlement, including small towns, animal pens and wells. The book has attracted controversy because it undermines 'terra nullius' - Latin for 'land belonging to no-one' - that justified the taking of Indigenous land without payment or treaty agreement by British settlers. This was debunked in the landmark decision. Part of the 'terra nullius' doctrine was European colonialist's assertion that Indigenous people, who have a 60,000 year history on this continent, did not farm the land, and therefore had no claims to it.
There's by Tony Birch, a novel looking at government policy of forced removal of Indigenous children from their homes, by Melissa Lucaskenko, or some fun rom-coms by There's also Rachel Perkins' documentary series First Wars, documenting the massacres and killings of early Indigenous communities by white settlers and armed Indigenous resistance, which will air on SBS.
3. Listen to Indigenous voices
There's a fine line between being a supportive ally and centreing yourself. As Summer May Finlay writes in : "Don’t speak on our behalf. We have a voice, and we aren’t afraid to use it. The problem is, we are only a small proportion of the population and with many non-Indigenous people working in the black space, this ratio can end up with non-Indigenous voices dominating our issues. True self-determination means supporting us, working with us, but allowing us to speak on the subjects that affect our lives. If you’re really here for us, you won’t mind taking a step back."
4. Promote, amplify and 'step back'
Do not use your privilege to centre yourself as a 'saviour'. Minority communities are often talked about but rarely talked to, with little representation in mainstream arts and media. As 'White Fragility' author says this is particularly amplified for white liberals who may be unaware how they replicate white privilege in their proximity to BIPOC (black, indigenous and people of colour). Offer or recommend that a person of First Nations background be on that TV, radio or panel spot , raise concerns on the lack of Indigenous senior leadership and staffing in your workplace or organisation, and commit to rectifying it.
Do not patronise, dominate or assume greater knowledge. Understand there are complexities, diversity and difference in all communities. Experiences of racism are deeply personal and painful, think about how you approach listening/talking about these issues. Do not expect a person Indigenous heritage to educate you, or assume entitlement to having your questions answered.
5. Learn more about calls for constitutional recognition and treaty
The is Black Australia telling us what they want - a voice to parliament, so they can have a say in the decisions affecting them: "We are the most incarcerated people on the planet. We are not an innately criminal people. Our children are aliened from their families at unprecedented rates. This cannot be because we have no love for them. And our youth languish in detention in obscene numbers. They should be our hope for the future. These dimensions of our crisis tell plainly the structural nature of our problem. This is the torment of our powerlessness. We seek constitutional reforms to empower our people and take a rightful place in our own country."
As University of New South Wales law professor says: "The idea is that if you have direct Indigenous input into law and policy making, the quality of advice will be vastly better than contemporary decision making which is primarily done by non-Indigenous people making decisions about communities they have never visited and people they do not know."
a selection of dedicated programming, special events and news highlights with a focus on encouraging greater understanding of Indigenous Australian perspectives on 26 January. Join the conversation #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe.
