The voice of whiteness is also found in present arguments, like when the violence of settlement is justified by what the British introduced. Why would the Aborigines wish to celebrate this day every year? But changing the date of Australia Day is something we can do now. [3] [4] Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter human gene pools by excluding . [CDATA[ */ Australia Day was not celebrated consistently on 26 January until 1994 Australia's national day of celebration has drawn much criticism recently from those who say it causes unfair hurt to. In 2017, the Australia Institute found a whopping 62% of people did not know what the day marked. Changing the date of our current Australia day celebrations provides an outlet for all Australians to come together and rejoice for everything good about our nation whilst being respectful and helping to break down colonially embedded stigmas around Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. if(ignore != '' && all_links.href.search(ignore) != -1) { It involves an active commitment to reform, which includes paying the rent. 2023 Australian Ethical Investment Ltd (ABN 47 003 188 930, AFSL 229949). 5. s.type = 'text/javascript'; // forced if the address starts with http (or also https), but does not link to the current domain Indigenous people have called Australia home formore than 60,000 years, being custodians of theworlds oldest continuous living culture. They had been living on this land now called Australia for more than 60,000 years and most were all gone within a bit more than a century. For white Australians, changing the date will simply mean coming together on a different day and the public holiday would still take place. Through his advocacy work, Mr Dawe wants to break the cycle of trauma which happens to Aboriginal children who are placed in out-of-home care. After all, doesnt the national anthem say: Australians all let us rejoice? Secondly, changing the date would spare indigenous Australian and islanders the painful reminder of their loss of country, family and culture. We need to move to a date that is inclusive of all Australians. Other "Australia days" were held on. Although we acknowledge that changing dates will by no means address or make up for the full detriment of non-Indigenous actions, nor will it solve the long term, ongoing impacts and complexities of colonialism, we do believe its a step in the right direction towards reconciliation. In June 2020, following the death of Black man George Floyd at the hands of the American police in Minnesota, Black Lives Matter protests occurred around the world, including here in Australia. The date change is like the key to your house, you need it to open the front door, Sarra wrote. Related:Why the Indigenous Voice to Parliament Isnt Going to Be as Straightforward as You Think, Related:Know Better, Do Better: The Best Aussie Podcasts to Educate Yourself on Indigenous History. The Australia Talks National Survey is back again here'swhat we found out. An elderly man walking along the boardwalk was adamant the date should not be changed. Not only is the date inaccurate about the First Fleet landing, but more than that, why is Australia as a nation that considers itself a humanitarian one, celebrating the day when the annihilation of the 500 indigenous groups began? Despite generations of violence and interference from settler colonialists, First Peoples have not been defeated. img#wpstats{display:none} This is a fundraising ribbon circulated for the first Australia Day on July 30, 1915. Well,most people assume that the reason this day was chosen because thats when the First Fleet landed in Australia. There has also been a marked shift in the number of people who "strongly agreed" celebrations should move. Its worth noting that it was on the third ever national Australia Day that a notable Indigenous protest was created. In fact, they label it a Day of Mourning, Invasion Day, or Survival Day.. change_link = true; In fact,every year around December, the debate starts over again. Thats when the First Fleet landed on Sydneys Botany Bay. if(typeof window.DotMetricsObj != 'undefined') {DotMetricsObj.onAjaxDataUpdate();} The prime, simple reason for Australia Day staying put is that most Australians want it that way so they can salute their nation. This is a critical time in Australian history. And why would the Australian government want to remind them every year of what was done to them? Tomorrow must come In most other nations, the national day marks independence (often from the British) or foundation. How To Spend A Long Weekend In Townsville If The Thought Of Winter Is Already Crushing Yr Soul, Dysons Slinging Up To $400 Off Its Famous Sucky Bois If Yr Sick Of Crumbies Underfoot, Weve Already Copped A Bit Of Spicy Intel About What Goes Down At The MAFS 2023 Reunion, Rihanna & A$AP Rockys Sweet Bb Has Made His Official Debut With An Adorable Vogue Shoot, Sign up with your Facebookor Linkedin account, Please select at least one of the following options to continue. Not until 1935 did all the Australian states and territories use that name to mark that date. Moreover, another fire was lit when a 15-year-old Noongar Yamatji boy, Cassius Turvey, died in 2022. Obviously, he isnt considering the full picture and the entire experience of all the Australian citizens. Crescent Foundation There are no sound reasons why the date shouldn't be changed but there are plenty of reasons why the nation needs to change. The frontier wars did not result in victory for settler colonialists, because the fight is not over. Many Australians might not care which day Australia Day is held on, but for others, it is a day of major celebrations. Solution: The email address associated with your Amazon account should have a strong, unique password. We're changing our minds on Australia Day and it's happening rapidly, Australia Talks reveals, Australian Defence Force personnel and aircraft will be involved in the evacuation of residents from remote communities in the NTexperiencing significant flooding, Former government services minister Stuart Robert is being questioned at theRobodebt inquiry, Keep up with the latest ASX and business news. In 1938, 100 Aboriginal people from across the country chose thatdate to meet to condemn "the degrading and humiliating" treatment of Indigenous communities. "We are a multicultural country and a lot of people have come and married into our family and we need to do the right thing and respect all cultures," he said. It is not just Indigenous people who have a long history of opposition to this date. Additionally, the origins of celebrating Australia Day on January 26 dont actually date back that far. "It's a remembrance day for us, so we try to remember that by doing our culture, preserving our culture so people can actually see what was here on January 26, 1788," he said. What is Australia Day to Aboriginals? At the time, many people pledged to educate themselves on what it takes to be an effective anti-racist ally. And, the day wasn't even declared as Australia Day until around 150 years later and since that time, the date of Australia Day changed many times. It was also when Indigenous people began being oppressed - massacred,. "Part of a maturing nation is the willingness to listen and learn from someone else's view and to keep a dialogue open," she said. Today's episode is a very important one. Changing the date of our current Australia day celebrations provides an outlet for all Australians to come together and rejoice for everything good about our nation whilst being respectful and helping to break down colonially embedded stigmas around Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The commemoration of this day has grown contentious in recent years as a result of a "change the date" campaign, in which supporters demand that Australia Day be moved from January 26 to May 9. Join over 10,000 members by joiningAustralias only Islamic Super Fund. In 1994, when Australia Day was fixed to January 26, then-prime minister Paul Keating suggested the view each of us might form of our nation depended on individual perspectives and opportunities. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and thank them for protecting Country since time immemorial. The two sides to the Change The Date discussion were written in consultation with Marlee Silva, founder of Tiddas 4 Tiddas. Earlier this year the Prime Minister said it was important to mark the day as one on which "the journey to modern Australia began". // console.log('Changed ' + all_links.href); She saidthe change in attitude around Australia Day was a sign the country was "growing and maturing as a reconciled nation". No & it wasnt 1994, it was 1946 that the 26th January became our National Day & as a Ngadjuri Aboriginal all my Mob celebrate our National Day with pride. This is especially so if you want to be a nation known for its inclusivity and multiculturalism. "A celebration of Australia should happen on a different date so we can have a day of reflection on 26 Jan for the broad Australian population to become familiar with the atrocities that have been committed to the Aboriginal people since white settlement." Many responders said they just wanted a public holiday. You came here only recently, and you took our land away from us by force. We invest in companies to have a positive impact on the planet, people and animals. Australia Day: Should we change the date? We know this isnt a solution, but we take it as a sign of solidarity with the First Peoples. It's a day "for all Australians, no matter where our personal stories began, [to] reflect on being Australian, celebrate contemporary Australia and recognise our history," according to the National Australia Day Council. And how can we celebrate our nation on a date that so many mourn? Because, when it comes to this tradition, what exactly are we celebrating? 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