Marking Survival Day 2024
The new year brings with it Survival Day, also known as Invasion Day, on the 26th of January.
Each year we see the same tired old media beat up about whether we should change the date of the public holiday, whether councils or pubs should mark the occasion, and whether supermarkets should stock Australian flag merchandise. There’s outrage flying in all directions.
With The Voice referendum failing in 2023, this Survival Day is especially poignant. While shock jocks fight for attention by whining that they can’t purchase Australian flag toothpicks at Woollies, let’s not get caught up in that tired, divisive narrative – instead, let’s think about what we can do to support First Nations justice.
Survival Day is a day to pay respect to those that lost their lives because of colonisation. It can also be a powerful day to celebrate First Nations resilience, resistance and strength in the face of oppression.
This helpful guide from ANTAR shows Survival Day events all around the country, so if you want to mark the day respectfully check it out!
Dawn reflections and morning Smoking Ceremonies are being held in cities and towns around the country, along with Survival Day rallies and other events. In Sydney, the Opera House sails will be lit up with First Nations artwork and the morning Smoking Ceremony will be broadcast live on the ABC.
Beyond Survival Day, supporting First Nations justice is something we should all care about every day of the year. At Future Super, we have a few workplace policies we’ve made open source (that means you’re welcome to steal them!) aimed at doing our bit. Check them out:
Our Pay the Rent policy acknowledges that we benefit from living and working on stolen land. In acknowledging that the sovereignty of First Nations people was never ceded, we also acknowledge that we conduct business and take shelter on land which was removed from First Nations people. So we make payments of rent in recognition of this to the Pay the Rent Collective.
We also have a First Nations Cultural Leave policy in place, which again you’re very welcome to lift and shift for your workplace. This policy formalises and legitimises the significance of First Nations occasions and practices. It also acknowledges the limitations of the current Australian calendar, which has predominantly Anglo-centric celebrations and observances.
And on that note, another policy we have in place is Public Holiday Swap. There are a number of public holidays in our calendar that just don’t resonate at all for many people. (Is anyone really stoked to celebrate the King’s Birthday?) So why shouldn’t you be able to swap these days and take another day off at a time when you can really enjoy it? Public Holiday Swap allows our employees to do just that.