Monday Mural - Aboriginal Art Melbourne, Australia

Little Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

I came across this blog hop tonight and thought I'd join in.

"Mural Monday" 

I knew I'd taken this pic about a year ago and so I searched for it on my phone to join in on the hop.

Not sure if you've all seen it before as I'm new to the hop and I think its the only mural I have.

But for those of you whom haven't seen it, the picture is of an Aboriginal Boy around 14-15yo.

As our Australian nation divides itself with the coming of "Australia Day" in just a few days time, here are my thoughts. Our country is Australia and our city is Melbourne, this is what we were taught from a young age. But through more education and through the Australian Digitalized Newspapers we realize that there were people living on this land before the arrival of the first fleet. We now know that there were many different clans/mobs whom occupied the lands with their own languages, lores, traditions, ceremonies, families whom we refer to now as the "Aboriginal" people. I really don't love that word as "ab" meaning abnormal put together with "original" only falsifies that they actually were the original occupants of the land. Through more education we find out that they were hunted and killed in large numbers, we learn of the stolen generation where children were taken from their parents and families - some never to return. We learn of the Stolen Wages and Generational trauma and poverty endured by our first nations people. We also learn that the lands we now live on are deeply rooted in racism and the unjustified deaths of the people whom first occupied, cared for and loved this country.

It just wouldn't be fair now knowing what we know for us to "celebrate" a day in which dances on the graves of our countries ancestors. 

We need to together as a nation in our city of Melbourne in which we now know was named Narrm by our traditional elders in language to allow our first nation communities to mourn the loss of its people, its languages, its lores, its traditions and the families whom never made it back to their country or homes and allow them to celebrate their survival.

As educated people, we now have the ability and platforms to educate more people.

Stop this Celebration of Australia Day Bullshit!

Find Mourning Ceremonies and Survival Day Events happening near you and truly wholeheartedly stand with and support these people whoms families have had to fight for just an ounce of what you get to enjoy today and for the ones who never made it.

Mel x