Australians all let us rejoice. Really?

Australia Day. Today. A day that Australia rejoices and values all that which is great about our wonderful country.

But what about Indigenous Australia? What about their social issues? Where is their celebration and voice of rejoice today? We do not celebrate those ‘black’ social issues because the state of Aboriginal Australia  is our national disgrace.

White Australia has provided many disservices to black Australia. But, each of us has a choice: to either continue in those disservices or to do something different, something empowering, inclusive and non discriminatory. I am today choosing to debunk the urban myths that I too frequently hear about Aboriginal people being lazy, criminal, drunken, ungratefu, child and partner abusing bludgers.

I choose to address Indigenous Australian issues as though they are my neighbours issues: something that requires my assistance. Regardless of colour or socio ecomimic status, every person in Australia has the right to live a life of our high Aussie standards. My neighbours live as I do, why should not the thousands of Australian Aboriginal children living in poverty across Australia.

Tonight, the Imaginif household is having an international dinner. We have visitors from India, Sweden, Germany and Australia.  Each person is contributing a food from their home land. As hostess, I will be addressing some previously domestic raised comments about Aboriginal people: Are Aboriginal people bad? Do Aboriginals get money from the Government just because they are black? Do all Aboriginals have sex with children?

Aboriginal people are far from bad. Aboriginal people are just like you and I and our white societies: some good, some not so good. Australian Aboriginal people had their land warred from them, their culture almost destroyed and their social rules of contact/non contact disrespected. Is it any wonder they have become a group of people struggling to again find themselves and their place in a predominately white country that has grown into a magnificent global jewel with a coveted lifestyle.

Australia is the lucky country, so c’mon, giveemabreak will ya. Australia Day is about ALL Australians. Let’s rejoice our rainbow of colours and cultures….after all the true Australia is Aboriginal Australia.

Congratulations to Australian of the Year: an Aboriginal man, Mick Dodson

Check out these amazing Aboriginal rock paintings: End of term excerscusion: Aboriginal Culture. We visited Laura as a home school experience and attended the Dance Festival  (a display of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island cultures).

Picture is of my son and my “black” brother, Aboriginal artist, Joseph McIvor.

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