Sunrise have done it again, this time using an all white panel to discuss holding Australian citizenship ceremonies during NAIDOC week.
We thought they might have learned after doing the same thing a few weeks ago when they discussed the issue surrounding Australia’s colonial statues. But no, Sunrise have once again invited an all white panel to discuss a topic that is desperately in need of an Indigenous point of view. Why does the mainstream media think it is fine to keep excluding our voices?
Citizenship Ceremony Alternative
Citizenship Ceremony Alternative: Immigrants are given the option to become citizens during NAIDOC week. More: https://yhoo.it/2kBvQ7I#sun7
Posted by Sunrise on Saturday, 14 October 2017
So what kind of opinions has Sunrise excluded by doing this? We will add different comments on this issue throughout the day based on comments from our Facebook page.
My own opinion is that this would be misleading to new immigrants. It may give them the false impression that we have accepted the government who have been illegally occupying our lands for over 229 years. Why would we be happy to allow the use of one of our cultural gatherings to endorse the government who continue to destroy our lands, deprive our communities and excludes our race from any form of legal justice?
This idea of immigrants being welcomed to Australia by our people is a great idea, but not to welcome them into the current governments regime which ignores our people and our demands for self determination. If this was to happen it should only be about welcoming them to become part of a country that has found a path forward that involves respecting Indigenous rights.
Let us know your own thoughts about this in the comments below or on our Facebook page. The comments on the original Sunrise video are mostly hypocritical ones that somehow suggest that immigrants have to conform to white Australian values while ignoring the fact that Australia is sitting on Aboriginal land.
We also heard that Sunrise had another all white panel earlier this week to discuss the issue of racism surrounding the latest Dove advertisement that made International headlines.
