Australia Day has been and gone. However, the ongoing debate about whether January 26 should or shouldn’t be our national day continues to escalate. Each year, Invasion Day rallies and Survival Day events gather more and more momentum. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people want to be seen, heard and respected, and rightfully so. These values are fundamental truths for all of us.
Yet, to me, the debate has increased the divisiveness, not created unity, recognition and inclusiveness. And, like many things, it has become heavily politicised.
I’m not saying that we should or shouldn’t change the date for Australia Day. That is up to all Australians to make that call, isn’t it?
My question is, will changing the date of Australia Day actually change anything?
Probably not.
There’s no denying that atrocities occurred when the First Fleet arrived on Australian shores. The treatment of the traditional custodians of our land, along with the convicts that arrived with the First Fleet, was appalling.
Like many Australians, I’m grateful for having more awareness about what happened in our past, which is largely due to Aboriginal people sharing their stories. (Traditionally, our history was only presented from the perspective of European settlement.)
Clearly, some Aboriginal people were hurt by colonisation. With regards to those who say they feel their ancestors’ pain, this is often known as transgenerational trauma. This is when trauma is transferred from the first generation of trauma survivors to subsequent generations. Therefore, the wounds run deep.
The thing is, transgenerational trauma can occur with anybody. It can also be overcome — with help and if you want it to.
To move beyond any trauma, it starts with acknowledging that a particular experience occurred. And while challenging, there needs to be a genuine acceptance of and forgiveness for those past events.
Individually, we have to take responsibility for how we are feeling. That’s how we learn, evolve and connect. It’s also what makes us spiritual beings (remembering that Aboriginal spirituality forms part of their culture, with everything being interrelated). Unfortunately, that too has been forgotten.
By no means is this condoning or excusing what happened. Nor is it blaming or shaming anyone, past or present. It’s letting go of any guilt, anger or pain. It’s taking a stand and saying that it stops here.
Furthermore, this can only be done with understanding what everyone’s real needs are, having the opportunity to share and communicate, and being supported on an individual and collective level, which needs to be ongoing.
There’s no quick fix for transgenerational trauma.
So how can changing a date heal this immense pain? Does it really resolve the issue? Or does it get transferred to another day, time or generation?
To me, it’s more like treating a symptom — one aspect — rather than getting to the root cause of the disconnection.
I don’t celebrate Australia Day, nor do I ignore it. I also get why some people celebrate it and others don’t. Meanwhile, some see it as chance to have a boozy barbecue on a public holiday. Everyone has their own reasons.
As a country, Australia is relatively young. It also has an increasingly multicultural society. So why not be grateful for where we are today, as well as acknowledge and pay respect to those who came before us and made sacrifices, be it the land, their lives or their children.
We can’t change history, but we sure can learn from it. And this is where we can change our approach to a more compassionate one and make active choices, here and now, to improve outcomes for all.
When it comes to Aboriginal people and communities, they are facing many issues: incarceration, poverty, infant mortality rates, high suicide rates, self-harm, warring between clans, a lack of respect for elders, child sex abuse, a lack of essential services including clean water and medical care (especially in remote areas), language loss, and so on.
Overall, they feel a lack of identity and are experiencing a decline in their health and wellbeing, and that’s largely due to being driven off the land and being separated from their culture. No wonder there is disconnection within their own communities, let alone broader ones.
Again, how can changing the date of Australia Day help create meaningful change?
Even if it was changed, there will be others who will find reasons for it not to work.
That’s why I tend to agree with Noongar elder Dr Robert Isaacs, a member of the Stolen Generations, who encouraged everyone in a recent Community News article to see January 26 as an opportunity for reconciliation.
“We cannot change the past, we are damaging our own people, causing division and we have to move forward together to get past this. You cannot go forward while always looking back,” he said.
Either way, a lot needs to change with how we integrate, value one another and cooperate on a daily basis. Imagine if we got back to the basics: being present and listening to one another with respect and compassion.
It’s time to share our stories and be in awe of one another.
How do you feel about changing the date of Australia Day?
By Kristin Lee
Share this on
