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How To Show Up And Support Our First Nations People

We may not be able to change the past, but we can change the future
How To Support First Nations People Invasion Day
Image: Getty

Another year has rolled around, and still, Australia Day is marked on January 26—the day that signifies beginning of the British colonisation in 1788 on land that always was, always will belong to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. And, as always, it’s more important than ever to show up and be a better ally to our First Nations people.

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A date that was once heralded as Australia’s most ‘prideful’ has since become one filled with shame, each year forcing a rightful spotlight on how far we, as a nation, still have to go to support and properly acknowledge the traditional custodians on whose land we currently stand. 

The date symbolises the beginning of a violent and traumatic history for Australia’s First Nations peoples—the day British invaders arrived and claimed the land, leaving in their wake a culture massacred, dispossessed, and stripped of its identity. 

Over the past decade, Australia’s First Nations peoples—and allies—have called for the date to be changed.

Their reasoning is simple: that celebrating national pride and unity on a day that signifies itself as one of mourning for our First Nations population is insensitive. 

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This year the call is perhaps louder than ever before, catalysed by a world in which division feels like it’s been cemented into the political playbook, and as an election cycle looms, there’s no denying the lingering racial injustice that still exists in this country.

But despite this, it remains the same. 

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(Credit: Getty Images)

Although Australia’s non-Indigenous population can’t begin to understand the intergenerational trauma associated with this particular date, what we can do is show up and support our First Nations peoples, look to the future and dismantle the systems of oppression that our ancestors built. 

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Each year, protests, demonstrations, and rallies are held around the country to raise awareness of the issues currently faced by First Nations communities, including deaths in custody and raising the age of criminal responsibility. 

Here are some of the ways to show support and be a better ally to our First Nations people on January 26, 2025, and beyond. 

Show Up 

One way to put your ally foot forward this year is to show up for our First Nations peoples.

ANTAR has shared a summary of some of the events taking place. You can also look to your local Aboriginal Land Council website or search Facebook events to see what’s happening in your local area. 

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Other Invasion Day Events Happening On January 26, 2025

Ballarat’s Survival Day Dawn Ceremony

(Sydney) Yabun Festival

(Sydney) WugulOra Morning Ceremony 

(Victoria) Invasion Day Rally

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(Adelaide) Tandanya Survival Day 2025

(Perth) Birak Concert

If you’re looking to beat the crowds, National Indigenous Television (NITV) and SBS have an incredible line up of programming scheduled for January 26. And in the lead up to the date, SBS and NITV are showcasing a curated selection of educational resources, First Nations voices, and incredible films, here.

Share Information/Resources You Find Helpful

One of the easiest ways to show your support, both on January 26 and beyond, is to share social media content that you find helpful or informative. 

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Accounts such as the below offer incredible resources and educational, engaging and enriching content that covers a range of voices and opinions.

Common Ground

ID. Know Yourself

The Healing Foundation

Clothing The Gaps

Stop Black Deaths In Custody

Rach McPhail – Place Names In Addresses

Deadly Connections

Dhadjowa Foundation

IndigenousX

Pay The Rent

Accounts To Follow

Support A First Nations Business

It should not just come as a consideration on January 26, but all days, to support a First Nations-owned business wherever you can. 

There are so many incredible people and places to do so, from jewellery, art, food, clothing and art. 

Gammin Threads

Clothing The Gaps

King King

Rachael Sarra

Amplified Beauty

Haus Of Dizzy

Kirli Saunders

Atyene



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