Connecting with country. We are incredibly grateful to call this beautiful land our home but will never celebrate slaughter, genocide, stolen land and still in 2023 the immense suffering of First Nations people in so many ways.
Our stance is clear. We don’t hide in the shadows. TODAY IS NOT A DAY FOR CELEBRATING.
It’s undoubtedly an incredibly painful day for so many Australians - if “we are one”, why would we even contemplate hurting each other in celebrating this? The community is clearly vocalising their pain. I hear people rigidly arguing that they “deserve to celebrate this country” and their ancestors fight to give us freedom (absolutely agree, but not today) and that “it’s just a day”, well exactly - why we don’t we change THE DAY to another one that doesn’t hurt? If the date hasn’t changed legally, why don’t you postpone your celebrations to another random day as an act of recognition and kindness - a positive move to bridge the gap of understanding?
If you are still hell bent on celebrating today, I can only hope you are having the conversations. The tough ones. Of where we actually sit with is. Deaths in custody. Raising the age. Including First Nations people in the Constitution. Getting rid of section 51. The discrepancy in health and prosperity. Inclusivity. Representation. All of it.
If you feel helpless today as an ally, I’ve included some great resources from @viceau of what you can do today. Every city has an Invasion Day protest, the one in Naarm starts @ 11. You can donate, research, learn, buy from Blak business, pay the rent, check in if it’s not performative and you are not expecting anyone to do the labour (and do this all year around and not just today), watch NITV, connect with land and so much more.
On a positive note, I do believe we have evolved in this generation and I applaud people, businesses and organisations who have taken a pro-active stance on this day. I am especially proud of many kids of today who just seem to get it.
This is an opportunity. To mend. To heal. To learn. To engage. To stand side by side, not in front or behind. Together.
In the great words of vice, be an ally, not a d*ckhead.
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