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How will changing the date for Australia Day help fix the dysfunctional life for people living in Aboriginal communities? by Dr Anthony Dillon 26 January 2014
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round this time each year, there is a discussion on what it means to celebrate on 26 January. Should it be called Australia Day? Should it be called Invasion Day? Should the date be changed? Many Aboriginal people believe that to call this day ‘Australia Day’ or to celebrate it on 26 January is offensive. I can understand that many Aboriginal people do not see it as a day of celebration given our history.
I certainly don’t see what happened at the time of the invasion as worthy of celebrating, but I celebrate on 26 January with thousands of other Aboriginal people for a different reason than a commemoration of invasion. For many, celebrating 26 January is like celebrating on 25 December. Though traditionally this date had religious significance for some, for many today, there is no religious significance, though it is a day of celebration for other reasons. It is a good time for coming together. So it is with 26 January.
It is a holiday for most and we can get together for fun and laughter. I respect people’s right not to call 26 January Australia Day. However, I am puzzled when some assume that Australia Day upsets them. They talk about invasion, the murders and other injustices. I can understand that those events are not a reason for celebrating. But is it really the name ‘Australia Day’ or its date that causes them to be upset? If it is the injustices committed against
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Aboriginal people at the time of the invasion they find upsetting, why are they not equally upset by the injustices committed against Aboriginal people by other Aboriginal people today? I am of course referring to the injustices that often taken place in some dysfunctional communities. Though there will likely be some who interpret me as saying “Get over it”, I am not. I am all for people remembering and reflecting on the past. I am just saying that we should not neglect the important matters of today. Nor should we put a racist spin on the celebrations on 26 January. If the date for Australia Day or its name is changed, this is not going to bring about any longlasting meaningful change in the emotional or physical well-being of those people who believe that calling January 26 Australia Day is offensive to them. Perhaps the debates about Australia Day are distracting us from addressing more important and more difficult issues? Australia is a great country to live in with much to offer to both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians. To focus on changing the date or name of Australia Day is a smokescreen to the real problems that some Aboriginal Australians face: health, education, dysfunction, employment, etc. Addressing these problems is difficult. Complaining about Australia Day being celebrated on 26 January is easy. For those wanting to make changes relating to Australia Day, I encourage you to visit an Aboriginal community where the people are poor, sick and
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Dr Anthony Dillon with Prime Minister Tony Abbott
unemployed, and ask yourself, “How will changing the name of Australia Day or changing the date for its celebration help the people in this community?” Like many other Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians, I’m going to reflect on January 26 that we are a lucky country. I will also reflect on what one set of my ancestors did to another set of my ancestors at the time of the invasion. I believe we as a nation can work together to address the problems facing Aboriginal communities today, while also seeing January 26 as a day to celebrate that we live in a great nation.
We can happily live along side one another and with one another - which many of us are already doing. Finally, on 26 January I typically celebrate in a large park with hundreds of other Aborigines and other Australians all having fun, good fellowship, and food. The biggest concern for me is that I see so many people walking around in the hot sun without a hat. People, if you are going to celebrate outdoors this year, wear a hat. It is a myth to think that if you’re black you don’t burn. Look after yourselves and set a good example for the young ones.