It's public holiday here today. Australia Day celebration. The Aboriginal people want the date changed because this date remind them of invasion day. There has been protests about this, the right wing faction don't want to change it, just want to poor some more salt into the wound but there is a growing trend towards change.
January, 26th means nothing to me, nothing at all.
As for those who are inciting the Indigenous for changing the date, I think you'll find that a vast percentage of them are what I'd loosely term as "pure shit-stirrers from University backgrounds with their own agendas ( desire for personal gains, etc,) merely USING the Indigenous as a means to an end.
Yes, there are some who, like me, resent the celebration of the Declaration of Terra Nullis, aka, the arrival of the Pommie Warlords and I feel that there should be a Treaty made with the Indigenous Peoples and specific date set aside to celebrate the unity it would eventually bring between Indigenous and the Non-Indigenous peoples of this wonderful country of ours.
Columbus day is on its way out here in the states as well. I think it's past time. History has to be reconed with.
Well considering that historically Columbus never actually discovered the Northern section of the Americas, only the islands, etc, in and around the Caribbean, Columbus Day Celebrations are somewhat a very big faux pas, are they not?
@Triphid looks like the Chinese made it to the Americas as well. And, from Europe the Vikings came and set up settlements that failed as well.
These holidays as they are are mire about celebrating colonization than discovery.
@Beowulfsfriend Around 30 years ago a good friend, a recognized Archaeologist from the A.N.U., showed me dozens of photos taken by her and members of her team of Indigenous Australian Rock Paintings found in a cave on the N.W. Australian coastline, the paintings have dated to approx. the mid to late 14th - early 15th centuries and show a 'fleet' of at least a dozen ships closely resembling large Chinese Junks anchored off the shore.
Their Aboriginal Guide and Elder told them of an ancient story where " many small men with yellow ochre skin came ashore and greeted the people with friendly smiles and spent many days amongst them before returning to the sea."
When her team attempted to publish their findings, etc, they were summarily hoo-hooed by the Faculty to the point that the Government even stepped in and BANNED them from publishing their findings.
She and her team subsequently resigned from the A.N.U. and are now working in various Archaeological fields elsewhere in the world.
? That is what I just wrote.
@mooredolezal have a cookie! Good job!
@Tompain1 don't be an asshole.
@mooredolezal don't cry. Nobody likes a whiney baby.
@Tompain1 it must be a drag being 67 with the maturity of a 10 year old. BTW your first statement was a non sequitur. I could not have done a good job making the same point you did as I was the first to reply. We're done.
@mooredolezal finally! Be gone twitt.
I think a different date should be selected and it should be inclusive of everyone by recognizing the diversity of Australia's population. IMO.
Alas, as an historian, I would be one of the "salt in the wound" brigade.
You don't go around forgetting history because people don't like it. Tell the whole story, instead.
I want the date to be changed but that doesn't mean I would support changing or forgetting history. Let's make the day inclusive with the non indigenous aspect less of a priority.
Australians should definitely honor the indigenous people of their country, just like we Americans should honor the indigenous people of our own world. If indigenous people want the date changed for a holiday that's one thing, but it probably won't be enough.
It's a start.