Honouring 26th January as Survival Day: On Truth-telling
Design | Isabella Miles
A national holiday since 1994, and a term which goes back to the 1930s, 'Australia Day' seems to connote a sense of celebration, of a nation emerging. Australia is a nation of diverse cultures, and in many ways, this is held together beautifully by celebration, and the sharing of traditions and beliefs. Yet what might seem like just another public holiday holds under its surface the tension of unheard voices; truths which need to be remembered, acknowledged and reclaimed.
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and many non-Indigenous Australians believe that 26 January cannot be a day of national unity given that it marks the date of invasion and the start of dispossession.
Celebrating on this day ignores the truths of our shared history and is akin to asking First Nations people to celebrate the autrocities committed against them. At the heart of reconciliation is an acceptance of the history of past grave injustices towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”
In the busyness, the stimulation saturation of daily life, to dip below the surface, to listen... takes effort. And yet, the parts beneath, like an iceberg are often the most vast, potent, and influential aspects of our psyche - as individuals and collectively.
This is a day for us, as fellow Australians, to learn and understand, to call out what is most truthful and honourable. Perhaps the term 'Survival Day' makes a more fitting mark on the calendar. January 26th can be a day to remember what survives, still - and what we can choose to celebrate.
The word 'claim' comes from a Latin root, clamare, 'to call out'. To re-claim is a resounding of what is significant. Whose responsibility it is to utter the sounds which we need to hear, and needs to be heard? If not us - then who? If not now, then when?
Fireflies offer beauty and illumination only in the dimness of night - perhaps we can be more like them: get quieter, sit in the darkness, and pay attention not just to what we want to see, but to that which wants to, and needs to be seen.
Get involved.
However small it may seem, there is always a way to play a part. Examples of actions you can take:
Pay the Rent | https://paytherent.net.au/about-us/
Educate yourself, and speak to family and friends, colleagues and neighbours about this. The more we pay attention, the more potential for positive change.
Choose to question your own actions, beliefs, involvements - and know why this matters.
Invite land acknowledgement into your practice of sharing space, even if it's silent to begin. This is another pathway towards rememberance - small moments, often.
A few links for further information and resources
https://www.naidoc.org.au/ | instagram @naidocweek
https://ulurustatement.org/ | instagram @ulurustatement
Suggestions?
We'd love to know of more sources and ways to learn, and re-learn in this process of truth-telling. Let us know with a comment below!
The life we have is no insignificant happening: we come out of this Earth, into a body of borrowed energy, gifted time. We cannot afford to cover over, or forget how we got where we are: this is a potent teacher for how we can move forward, with more care, more connection, and compassion towards all beings who share this home we call Earth.
Let's begin where we are.
25 Jan 2022
RESOURCE UPDATE :: Please refer HERE to the beautiful curation by LIMINAL, for a thorough list of Indigenous voices you can refer to, organisations to support, and learnings to be shared. Thank you Leah and team for your diligence and conscientious enquiry around shared human experiences.