High-profile Aboriginal model and Invasion Day activist Aretha Brown, 17, says Australia Day is the only time of the year that anyone ‘gives a sh**’ about indigenous affairs.
And the only reason they do is that it could affect their public holiday.
Amid an increasingly divisive debate over the date of Australia’s national day, Ms Brown said January 26 would be better served as a national day of mourning.
‘No one really cares about indigenous affairs, if there’s a chance that some guy might lose his barbecue then it’s suddenly a national debate – everyone wants to talk about it,’ she said.
Melbourne-based Ms Brown rose to prominence last year when she gave an ‘Invasion Day’ speech to 50,000 supporters, where she called for Australia Day to be changed.
Since then she has been elected ‘Prime Minister’ at the National Indigenous Youth Parliament.
‘This is the one time of the year when people actually give a sh** about indigenous activism, affairs and politics and the only reason they do is because it would affect their public holiday,’ she said.
‘If I were to talk about the Uluru treaty, or Don Dale throughout the entire year it doesn’t get mentioned.’
Ms Brown re-iterated that the date should be changed, saying January 26 should be seen as a day of mourning.
Indigenous model and activist, Aretha Brown, 17, spoke for the first time at last year’s Invasion Day rally, she has since been elected as the Indigenous Youth Prime Minister
‘Activism fuels me and it’s what I am most passionate about’: Aretha plans to turn her back on modelling and focus on indigenous activism
Ms Brown said the national holiday made her uncomfortable.
‘For me it has never been a public holiday – I can’t celebrate it and none of my family would ever celebrate it,” she said.
‘Australia Day hasn’t even been changed yet – it’s the idea that we might need to change the date that freaks people out.’
Ms Brown said being elected as the first female Indigenous Youth Prime Minister, and youngest at 16, was one of her proudest achievements.
‘I was so amazed, it was really cool – not only being the youngest but the first female, I just didn’t think that was even possible at all, it just shows the level of respect and maturity from the people who elected me,’ she said.
‘Australia Day hasn’t even been changed yet – it’s the idea that we might need to change the date that freaks people out,’
While Ms Brown said she knew Australia Day was part of our history and most Australians attributed their ‘identity’ and ‘way of life’ with the celebrations on the controversial day, she questioned how hard it was for ‘people to step back’ and ‘look at the other side of it that isn’t theirs’.
‘The weirdest thing is when I go to supermarkets and there is a little display shelf of Australia Day merchandise. How weird would it be if there was all Aboriginal stuff, people would lose it – they wouldn’t be able to handle it,’ she said.
Ms Brown said the reaction to her speech last year was positive and she had ‘erased’ all the memories of the few ‘mean, hateful and racist’ comments she had received. ‘Unfortunately what social media does is it gives legitimacy to people whose opinions aren’t worth noting sometimes,’ she said.
‘No one cares about indigenous affairs until there’s a chance some guy might lose his barbecue – then it’s suddenly a national debate’
Despite her success as a model, she plans to turn her back on the fashion industry and study a degree that will contribute to her activism. She finishes high school this year.
‘I would like to study race relations – anything that can help me with my activism. Activism fuels me and it’s what I am most passionate about,’ she said.
Ms Brown will again be a guest speaker at this year’s Invasion Day protest in Melbourne,
‘The first time I spoke, I was so scared – I was petrified, now I have been trained and I feel more confident’
Invasion Day rallies are being held Australia wide on January 26.