Talking about Australia Day is never easy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from any background or experience. Even saying the word can leave a bitter and uncomfortable taste in our mouths. So writing about it takes a lot to muster. Whilst acknowledging what previous respected Indigenous commentators have already said regarding their plight towards Australia Day, however, I have a unique and holistic perspective towards the issue.
Before I start let's get a few things clear:
I do vote and enjoy Triple J's Hottest 100
I love living in Australia and I wouldn't wanna live anywhere else
I would definitely participate in a day of inclusive celebration of our country
However, it is impossible to achieve an inclusive day of celebration on the current date of Australia Day, being January 26. This is just a truth that everyone needs to recognise before we can move forward as a nation. We must acknowledge this as a fact. For those who are ignorant to, or are not directly impacted by the history and or ongoing devices of colonialism (in other words those who have privilege), I imagine this must be a hard pill to swallow. So here are a few facts about Australia Day & January 26 that might seem suss, but are actually true:
- Celebrating 'Australia Day' on January 26 was only established in 1994. So 25 years? Not as much of a historical tradition as some might think.
- Prior to the establishment of 'Australia Day', January 26 was always a day of mourning and protest for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as it signified the illegitimate seizure of Australia under 'Terra Nullius', which led to the subsequent events of massacres, genocide, dispossession and ongoing oppression of Indigenous peoples.
- Indigenous people and their allies have not just all of a sudden started protesting Australia Day... because prior to 1994, the date of Australia Day was always changing.
Many good writers such as Luke Pearson, Dr Chelsea Bond, Jack Latimore, Dr Bronwyn Carlson, Nat Cromb, Claire Coleman and so on, have made it clear to us the many reasons the date and nature of Australia Day is problematic, therefore I won't repeat their messages. Although, I want to address the date as problematic in terms of a representational concern and reinforce the 'Change the Date' protests to be just as important as protesting the more direct and tangible issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. For example: Indigenous incarceration rates, land and water rights, Indigenous health inequalities, Indigenous educational gaps, and just about every other local to national issue our people face.
I'm currently studying abroad in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, on the doorstep of the largest Native American population in North America. Peering at this issue from an international perspective, I have gained a sophisticated and multifaceted comprehension of Australia Day and how it is problematic for Indigenous peoples. Forms of Australia Day celebrations taking place on January 26, perpetuates a notion of Invisibility within social and political discourse. It is not the only factor perpetuating this notion, however, it is a very influential one. This invisibility regards Australia's historic and somewhat taboo truths, the political participation of Indigenous peoples and the socio-economic problems associated with Indigenous peoples. Social and cultural behaviours that marginalise, neglect and ignore certain contextual issues towards groups in society, have significant repercussions towards the contemporary power and position of such groups being marginalised. I refer to these behaviours as catalysts to the cloak of invisibility. Behaviours and events that have swept certain actions and inconveniences under the rug, have occurred countless times throughout Australia's political history. Consequently, they have led to a sense of holistic invisibility for Indigenous peoples within Australian society, and replaced with stereotypical and simplistic representations. These representations affect Indigenous peoples AND non-Indigenous peoples in many ways and in many areas.
For example, for the first time in my life I met someone (of European nationality) who had no idea that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples even existed. They perceived Australia as white and as historically so. The idea that Australia was once a black country with a timeless black history was beyond their perception. This same individual, however, was of course familiar with the 'traditions' of Australia Day, and happily got intoxicated and partied throughout the day of January 26. Let's not forget how recent and influential the White Australia Policy of 1901 was. Internationally, Indigenous Australians are literally invisible in many contexts of Australian representation. By acknowledging this reality, we can reflect and identify the power of representations internally within Australian institutions and policy making.
My ancestors never consented to the invasion and dispossession of their country, and there are no legal documents that express their consent. Retrospectively, this has been the fundamental work of a discourse of invisibility. No representation in documents like the constitution, led to no (or very little) priority toward a legal delegation of care, responsibility or respect. In the shadow of invisibility, lies the static, non-negotiable, palatable Aborigine - one that attracts tourism and has no real sovereignty, or no real say in the political direction of our nation. Stereotypes, terminology and the nomenclature that frame Indigenous peoples and their identities, influence the greater social and political rhetoric which represents them.
TIME magazine referred to the date of January 26, 1788, as the opening day for the worlds largest prison. For many of our people this country remains a prison. Indigenous people make up just 3% of Australia's population, however, we make up 1/3 of the prison population. As an Indigenous adolescent, I was more likely to end up in juvenile detention, than finish year 12. This prison pertains not just to our physical bodies, but also to our mental and spiritual health. The removal of children, language, and cultural practices have led to Indigenous depression and suicide rates to be six times greater than that of non-Indigenous peoples. Unfortunately, there remains a blatant absence of social, political and legal ramification of the past, which has resulted in the current inequalities anyone can observe between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. This is all tied to how Indigenous peoples and the issues we face are perceived, which are pre-determined by representations. For example, with my little European friend, it wasn't her fault she didn't know what an 'Aborigine' was, she just didn't get a chance to finish the film Crocodile Dundee... Perception is determined by the education, representations and experiences we are exposed to. This rule applies to everyone.
Celebrating Australia Day on January 26 does not make you racist. But it may suggest that you don't yet understand the weight and trauma of Australia's history. Changing the date would signal to Indigenous Australians that you understand the history of this country, and the realities of the Indigenous experience. It would be like a simple gesture that you see us, then of course, we see you too. More importantly, it would change the position of Indigenous peoples in the broader holistic narrative of Australia. And therefore influence decisions based on a collective critical awareness and understanding of the effects of our history. If you can not yet empathise with the trauma of our history, then at least admit to your privilege in that you can not identify with it. And then we can all celebrate Australia on a different fucking day, as the video below shares some alternatives...