Hi Foxy,

To achieve the ideal of what you put forward, and I agree we should have such a day for all Australians to celebrate with dignity and equality of all, requires much more than simply hoping it to be so. A day with no substance for Aboriginal and European Australians is worthless, a day of meaningless speeches, full of platitudes and niceties, just wont cut it on its own. Before such a day can come to pass, our leadership must seek true recognition of Indigenous Australians, European Australians already have full recognition. There must be real concrete steps taken that involve both sides to achieve the ideal. That recognition will require revision of the Constitution, possibly a treaty signing, that will then set the day for future generations to celebrate Australia as one nation.

p/s It would be inappropriate for that day to be 26th January, or any other day linked to our colonial past. BTW Cook's landing in Kiwi land was recently "celebrated", 6th October, as far as I am aware it was very low key. The British government on behalf of Her Majesty sent a message expressing regret for the deaths of thousands of Maori due to British colonialism, but no apology. A full apology must have been a bridge to far for the Poms. Lets hope Australians can one day be bigger than the Poms were. When that day will be, well it still seems a long way off.

Dear Paul,

I was hoping that seeing as Captain Cook's landing
is going to be celebrated anyway that somehow our
Indigenous People could be also acknowledged and
involved in that celebration.

Foe example - We could learn something about the
different Aboriginal languages and tribes that existed
at that time and the tools that they used.

We could learn something about their
legends and customs that have been passed on.

Anyway,
there's lots of possibilities in which our Indigenous
People could be
involved. I'm no expert, but I'm sure that something
could be positively worked out.

Hi again Foxy,

I believe indigenous culture and understanding should be a vital part of the school curriculum. We also have NAIDOC Week to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, this years theme was VOICE. TREATY. TRUTH.

I know your heart is in the right place, but there is no reason for Indigenous Australia to celebrate or be involved with Cookies Landing. Those things you mentioned should be celebrated appropriately.

I found it interesting to compare the 1938, 150th Australia Day celebrations with the 200th in 1988. Outwardly things had changed. In 1938 the only part for aboriginal people was to be press ganged to play the menacing savages, as Phillip marched up the beach at Farm Cove. By 1988 the menacing savages had gone, only to be replaced with cannons going off and people in funny hats. Underneath in the darker areas of health, housing, education, employment etc etc, not much had changed. Maybe in 2038 the 250th anniversary, we'll look back and compare those darker things with 1988, and say gee there has been real change for the better. We can only hope.

Paul,

Yes, most of us have learnt a great deal about the world since 1788. There's hope for you yet.

Not too many working-class people attended university before, say, 1900, in Australia. Or in the world. Not too many before 1960 actually. As for the one Indigenous university student - since about 1990, around 140,000 Indigenous students have been enrolled at some time at universities (out of, say, a total of 500,000 adults). Currently, there are around twenty thousand enrolled, and around 55-60,0000 have graduated. But you can piss on all that to your heart's content.

Actually, tell your missus that Indigenous people here are participating at about the same rate as Maori in New Zealand, and their participation is increasing at a greater rate. And perhaps at slightly better rates than Native Americans in Canada or the US. I'm sure she would gasp in admiration, unlike your despicable response.

Joe

Dear Paul,

Thank You for getting back to me and for your kind
words.

We'll have to wait and see what happens with Captain Cook's Celebrations and how the government decides to celebrate
this event.

I've just sent an email to my daughter-in laws family in
Germany. Today is the 30th Anniversary of the Fall of The
Berlin Wall (9th November, 1989). Big celebrations in
Berlin. I wish I was there. I rang my daughter-in-law
and she's over the moon that I remembered. She remembers
that time well.

Very emotional time for the Germans!

Hi Foxy,

The German people have something to celebrate as a united people, the fall of a wall that was a symbol of a totally discredited regime. Not 97% with 3% excluded, but 100% total inclusion.

Hi Joe,

For the umteeth time I acknowledge the impotence and value of tertiary education for aboriginal people in the 21st century, bravo, well done, excellent. BUT you use it as a blind to deflect from any discussion of other serious issues confronting aboriginals in Australia today. If I say what can be done to alleviate the over representation of aboriginals in the prison population, you come back with a bunch of education figures. what is it, some where between your flag making and today did you get a smack in the mouth from some unappreciative blackfella? Some of your stuff is about as relevant as your desire to discuss the Thirty Years War. Maybe we should, and then you wont have to put up with the uncomfortable issues, except tertiary education, which is your winner, that still confront our Indigenous brothers and sisters in 2019.