Making Australia Day Great

One thing that still can put many Australians to shame is talking about our own national holiday. It does not need to be this way, though. Australia deserves to be proud of its uniqueness. Being so geographically isolated from the world as it is, Australia deserves a national holiday that brings its citizens together, a shared celebration that shows respect to one another, and an attitude of understanding and unity. Australia Day should be the perfect day to execute this peace offering to one another. January 26^th should embrace and celebrate ALL cultures, not least the first one of the first peoples.

The time has come, Australia. The time has come to redirect the day’s centre focus, shifting away from JJJ Top 100 and instead focusing on what makes this country so distinctive. That is, after all, what most countries around the world do already. Take the United States for instance, waving its red, white, and blue flag like nobody’s business. Americans are proud of their rights and all the amendments that have followed since their declaration of independence from Great Britain. It is not only a day for white Anglo Americans or new citizens declaring their loyalty. Native Americans celebrate and hold ceremonies alongside the majority of the population. The Navajo tribe especially use it as a Veteran’s Day to honour those who have fought for the U.S. in war. Of course, there are countless interpretations for each tribe and each tribal member for that matter. Not everyone is as equally enthusiastic. For most tribes, however, it is a time to bring members together in a reunion full of traditional celebrations, dance, and food. The biggest controversies happening around July 4^th deal with chicken wing shortages and crowded camping spaces.

In the Northern corner of the world, Indigenous relations take a slightly different angle. In 1992, the indigenous Sami people of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia established their own “national” holiday to celebrate their culture heritage. This came 75 years after the first international conference for Sami from all nations. Indigenous and non-indigenous alike wave flags and partake in festivities throughout these Nordic countries. Of course, some celebrate more so than others, and each county has varying degrees of enthusiasm and participation. Even so, the mere fact that Sami culture is celebrated in February throughout the entire country is quite the cool thing. In every country, the Sami have their own Parliament, although in Norway their powers are greatest.

Back home, since 2006, “Aboriginal Sovereignty Day” reflects an effort to start walking in the right direction. Aboriginals still have a lot to fight for, falling completely through the cracks when it comes to basic human and citizen rights, and that is just an understatement. If we all participated in a Sovereignty Day event, things would turn around a lot quicker. Numbers are growing annually for Sovereignty Day events, and Share the Spirit festival is just one of many celebrations of culture and survival throughout Australia. Forget JJJ Top 100. These festivals are where Australia can really show its support and unity.

Perhaps a poem by Sandra Hayman can sum it all up for us. As she says, we are ALL Australian, whether from here or from afar.

“We have so much to offer all

Generations past still call

This great land of ours abounds

Where harmony and peace are found

I am not black

I am not white

I am not wrong

I am not right

Proud and true is who we are

Some from here and some from far

Help each other the best we can

That makes us ALL Australian.”