In January 2020 I heard myself say to a friend visiting Melbourne “Avoid the city on the 26th, there’ll be big crowds for the change the date rally for Invasion Day. Its bigger then the Australia day parade!”
I felt proud of the large numbers who show up each year to influence change, but I was unsure what their thoughts and beliefs were, on Indigenous Australian culture.
It turns out they were both aware of the real indigenous history in our country. I was glad how widespread the factual Australian history is today, comparatively to my own Primary and Secondary education in the 80’s and 90’s.
Until the 2000’s the school curriculum completely skipped over the suffering of the Indigenous Australians, when referencing Captain Cooks arrival, and the actions which followed. True facts were ‘omitted’, providing students with a one sided skewed education on the history of our country.
Indigenous Australian History
It wasn’t until my late teens I began to hear snippets of the real history: the massacres, slavery, Stolen Generation and more. I slowly realised that there had been unimaginable details kept in the dark, with a whole lot more still in secrecy.
The more I learned, the more empathy I had for Indigenous Australians, who continue to struggle against racism, poverty and displacement, to name only a few repercussions.
A particular story which I found incredibly moving, was the recounting ofthe Japanese bombing of Darwin in 1942- the biggest single attack on Australia by foreign power.
The Indigenous people didn’t know what was attacking them and used traditional weapons as their defence. This outlines the innocence and vulnerability of the culture and the easy targets they would have been when colonisation began in 1788.
There are lots of inspiring Australian lessons and facts to be learnt from Indigenous Australian culture, which have often been overshadowed by political struggles and sadness.
If visiting the Northern Territory, there are tours of Arnhem land to learn from one of the largest indigenous reserves in Australia.
There are also alot of other Indigenous Australian culture experiences, throughout Australia to learn of indigenous culture and history.
An example is Indigenous artists, producing Indigenous Australian art, such as Dreamtime stories, painting, ceremony, spirituality, innocence and connection to land. These past times assist our Australian culture, encouraging empathy, connection and understanding.
If you are travelling in Australia, here are some tips to connect to Indigenous culture.
Take A Tour
One of the best tours I have ever taken was the Broome to Cape Laveque one day tour.
As we travelled north, we stopped at Indigenous communities and learned alot of information on the culture and history of the Indigenous people of the area. Our guide was very respectful of the communities and although he knew some of the locals, we gave the families space as we viewed the beautiful churches and incredible landscape.
Continue The Conversation
Change the secrecy that still holds back major progress, by commenting and continuing the conversation on changing the date and Indigenous history in social and family groups.
Listen To Supportive Media
In 2017 Triple J Radio station changed their Hottest 100 broadcast to the Saturday prior to or after the 26th January. They responded to survey results from hottest 100 listeners.As reported by SBS In 2017, ‘school teachers have more resources and support to teach Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, but this is dependent on the energy and commitment of individual schools and teachers.
If you are keen to fully experience of Australian culture, consider taking part in a tour, or Indigenous Australian culture and activities, and keep the conversation going to encourage change and awareness for tomorrow.
2 Comments
Great content! Super high-quality! Keep it up! 🙂
[…] Cove, like the rest of Australia, has a long indigenous heritage. The Djabuganydji people were the first residents of the area. They are a tribe of Aboriginal […]
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