NO PRIDE IN GENOCIDE
Australia day is, perhaps, the strongest example of how our country is yet unable to grasp our violent inception and the preceding years of erasure that has and continues to see our Indigenous communities torn apart and ostracized. However, in more recent time, we have witnessed a groundswell of support from various factions and allies from across the country that are pushing for Australia Day to no longer be celebrated on January 26th, as small a step as it may seem, it will go someway in healing past wounds. This year’s rally saw thousands of people spill out onto the streets of Melbourne, in what was the biggest event to date. Such a visible display of support and solidarity from non-Indigenous communities can no longer be ignored. Has the time come for Australia to finally do the right thing, to progress and, to finally engage with First Nations’ People, bringing about the changes that are now long overdue?
The Melbourne Critique acknowledges the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which Melbourne now stands.
Photo credit: Sonja Hammer
