Ah, the annual culture wars over Australia Day. The day only dates back to the mid-1990s
anyway, so it's hardly great tradition.
It is a view of Australia that's kosher for the glass fully-full crew,
though. Along with the Queen and the
Union Jack (not our union; rather it's a reference to the sun-never-sets empire
that is now set). Not that Australia is
really so bad, but as lucky people sharing luck (as in mining!) we should be
open to the less lucky. But increasingly
we aren't. Since the new reaction of
Howard, we've stubbornly stuck to old tropes, to the future cost of our kids,
not least with climate. As for our own
indigenous people, for along time they have not been the lucky ones. So we walked in the Invasion Day march to
Parliament house. I was surprised how
many others did too. I was not quite so
enamoured of the speeches although I admit I caught very little given distant speakers
using mere loudhailers. There was anger which is understandable but not
politically effective. The bikies
arriving on Harleys, parking up front and presenting was a challenge. Not that I could hear what they said either. I have no doubt that land was never ceded
(that's a fact) but the endless chants of always was, always will be is
difficult, sounding to my ear of sole possession, but then I don't warm to
chants. On the other hand, the
invitation to common love of land and the welcoming of non-indigenous supporters
was more politic and well received. It
doesn't take many generations to come to love this land. I could particularly understand the anger
with the unrepresentative crew behind, in upper and lower chambers, and their lack
of consultation, and I found it interesting that not one pollie was in
attendance, so it was said. Not morals
but money talks, especially recently, on cultural issues, climate and
more. Recent reports from the
Centre for Public Integrity indicate that. So I felt this march was a huge success in
numbers, but just a little uncomfortable in effect. But given history, there's plenty for we non-indigenous
to understand and remember, and no need to go back 60,000 years to view
indigenous loss and disappointments. One
example was PM Turnbull's fairly recent misrepresentation of the Voice as a
third house of Parliament. Strange given
the limited demands made for the Voice to Parliament: to me, it seemed so
lacking in real power. But now ScoMo seems
more slippery in communication and more dangerous in hidden action. But the levees will break, for climate,
indigenous issues and the rest; hopefully not too late for the survival of civilisations,
indigenous and non-. Just remember the
joy of the day of the Apology and imagine if Australia could surpass these
eternal road blocks. I doubt we'd ever
return to the social laboratory of the past, but perhaps we could just
recognise scientific and cultural truths once more and so move on. That would be a good first step. Our people do it reasonably well; it's our
leaders, influenced as they are, who fail.
The Canberra Invasion Day march commemorated indigenous
experiences otherwise celebrated as Australia
Day. Marchers walked from the Tent
Embassy to the steps of the new Parliament House.