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January 26, 2005
Hmmmm. Some historical forgetting below, don't you think?
Sean Leahy
They also enacted another kind of ritual. Raising the flag on foreign soil with not an aboriginal figure in sight. The continent is a terra nullius.
That flag ritual signified an imperial land grab to protect British interests: to take possession of the eastern half of the 'Australian' continent to give Britain a strategic presence in the Pacific. A consequence of Britain acquiring a strategic presence in the Pacific was the destruction of the first people's society.
The cartoon's conception of history is the white settler one based on the terra nullius fiction. The key issue of Indigenous sovereignty is dodged by Leahy.
Should not the day of celebration also be a day of mourning or remembrance? A remembrance that there is still ‘unfinished business’ between settler and Indigenous peoples: the recognition of Indigenous people as prior sovereigns of the continent. Should not our celebrations of Australia Day be based on historical truth as rather than discredited national fictions?
Oh, I know what the objection to my pointing out the dodge. This is an emotional issue. It is all about pride, anger, shame, guilt and hate etc. Public policy has naught to do with emotion. It is about reason.
In response I would point out that the emotional language in Australian political discourse is very evident--eg.,conflict over Tampa, John Howard and Mark Latham. And we are dealing with nationality on Australia Day. Is not nationality emotionally based?
Update: 27 Jan
The issue is also raised by Paul Kidd. He says:
Commemorating as it does an act of colonisation rather than of real nationhood, it's a troublesome anniversary for many. On the left it is widely referred to, perhaps unhelpfully, as "Invasion Day", but even the aborigines have moved on from that position: "Survival Day" is the preferred moniker these days.
Ours is a troubled history. So why not have a day off work, a day of fun, surf and sand etc.,a day of griefing, and fly the Australian and aboriginal flags.
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An emotional issue indeed, and one that troubles many of us on the left. I posted something in the same vein on my site, and I've been wondering since, what would be the preconditions for Australia Day to be broadly accepted as a day of celebration by all Australians?
Are these conditions achievable, or should we (continue to) push for a less troublesome national day?