For many Australians, 26 January marks the establishment of our nation, celebrated as Australia Day. Putting aside whether this association is accurate, I would hazard a guess that for most ‘Aussies’, this date has historically inspired little reflection on our nation’s origin story. If the date did conjure up collective reflection and thoughtful public discourse on the events of 26 January 1788, the ‘everyday Australian’ might have a far greater understanding of how colonisation has shaped our national identity, and how it continues to shape our lives to this day. The date in actuality marks the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove, the establishment of the British penal colony of New South Wales, and the beginning of the ongoing period of profound trauma, dispossession and oppression for First Nations peoples.
Rather than approaching 26 January as a day for deepening our understanding and appreciation of our historical beginnings as a nation, something that should arguably occur on 1 January (the date in 1901 on which the then six independent British colonies united to form the Cth of Australia), this much coveted public holiday has meant little more to many Australians over the years than BBQs, pluggers, flag wearing, Triple J’s hottest 100, the Big Day Out, a day off work, and copious amounts of booze at beaches, parks and parties.
Of course this is not the reality for everybody, far from it, and a couple of those items may be a little NSW-centric, though again I would guess that it is close to the experience of many over time and across Australia. And when I say ‘over time’, Australia Day has only been a nationally and uniformly ‘celebrated’ day since 1946 or 1994 (depending on how you look at it).
To be clear: I have no issues with people wanting to celebrate aspects of our history and our national identity. It is important that we make space to celebrate the richness of our diverse histories, cultures, and achievements as a nation. However, to fluff our patriotic pillow in complete denial of the many dark truths that make up that shared history and national identity, is in the words of W.E.H. Stanner, to “perpetuate the Great Australian Silence” – the selective amnesia in the Australian historical narrative, where the stories, perspectives, and contributions of First Nations peoples have been largely ignored, misrepresented, or entirely excluded. Stanner argued that this silence represented a “cult of forgetfulness” that shaped Australia’s national consciousness, marginalising First Nations peoples’ histories and minimising the ongoing impact of colonisation in Australia to this day.
Until relatively recently, on no other day was the Great Australian Silence more piercing than on 26 January each year.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, 26 January is a day of mourning – a reminder of invasion, dispossession, and the devastating and ongoing impacts of colonisation on our people, our culture and our Country. Despite this date carrying deep pain for most mob, the national debate on when and how to commemorate Australia Day has historically utterly failed to centre First Nations voices and lived experiences.
Having said that, as a First Nations man and advocate, I also believe 26 January is partly a date to celebrate. Not in the stale, nationalistic and flag waving way of old, but rather in terms of celebrating the strength and resilience of our First Peoples. If you attend a First Nations-led community event on 26 January, you will experience a people in mourning, and you will likely feel a deep sadness and longing underpinning the event. Though honestly, what I think you’ll experience the most, is a celebration of culture, of the strength of a peoples, a coming together of kin (with bonds seemingly as strong as ever) and acts of cultural resurgence – traditional song, dance, music, language and food.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have survived waves of generational oppression – from the frontier wars, to widespread massacres, to land theft, stolen generations, stolen wages, and mass incarceration. In short, we have survived state sanctioned genocide and that is something that should be recognised, respected and revered, as a testament to our people’s resilience, strength, and enduring connection to our Country, culture and kin.
Importantly, the oppression that I am speaking of here is not a distant chapter in our history books. So-called Australia is a young nation. The atrocities committed towards First Nations peoples under the colonial banner and later in the name of the nation building project, have occurred within the last 250 years (roughly five to seven generations). Colonisation has left deep, and in many ways, irreparable scars on our people. Over generations, successive colonial and Australian governments have attempted to deprive us of our Country, our culture and our kin. Yet in more ways than not, they have failed. If you want proof of this, attend any First Nations-led community event this 26 January and you will see what it means to be blak, loud and proud!