First Nations Perspectives on January 26th
January 26th in our words
As a First Nations-owned brand, we’re passionate about creating space for important conversations – and January 26th is one of those days that deserves the mic turned all the way up.
For mob, this date carries deep pain and reflects the ongoing resilience of our communities. It’s a day of mourning that sparks discussion, grief, activism and reflection. That’s why we’ve brought together powerful voices from Blak business owners, creatives and community advocates to share their perspectives on what this day means to them, their earliest memories and how they navigate its weight.
This blog isn’t just a conversation starter – it’s a call to listen, learn and unlearn. It’s about amplifying voices, celebrating resilience and acknowledging the truth of our shared history.
Because at the end of the day, showing up for mob means hearing our stories, holding space for our grief, and joining us in imagining a future rooted in truth, healing and justice.
Read on to hear from four incredible First Nations business owners as they share their stories and truths about January 26th.
Talicia Minniecon – owner of TTPOPP and Mob Made Media
Talicia Minniecon. Image supplied.
FIRSTLY, INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND TELL US WHAT YOU DO…
Talicia Minniecon is a proud descendant of the Kabi Kabi and Gooreng Gooreng Nations, and Ni Vanuatu from Ambrym Island.
She is a proud Zenadth Kes woman who descends from the Maluligal & Kemer Kemer Meriam Nations. She also descends from Scotland and Maré Island, Kanaky and is a proud descendant from Hanuabada Village, Papua New Guinea.
Talicia is a passionate advocate for Blak liberation, educational sovereignty, and climate justice, deeply rooted in her identity as a First Nations woman. A mother of three, Talicia has spent the last 6 years homeschooling her children while co-founding the Gimuy First Nations Homeschool Co-Op, the first of its kind in this Nation. This innovative co-op supports families in creating First Nations-led curriculum, allowing families to ensure their children’s learning reflects their cultural heritage foundations.
Talicia’s work extends into the arts and business as the owner of the fashion & design brand TTPOPP and Mob Made Media - Media & Communications Agency. Her talents as an artist, storyteller & communicator & and social media strategist allow her to connect to communities and amplify Indigenous voices.
As a member of the Our Islands Our Home Ailan Pawa group, Talicia is dedicated to climate justice, participating in local and national initiatives to raise awareness of environmental issues affecting her people.
She is also involved in the Cairns NAIDOC Committee and serves as an ambassador for the Say NO2DV Domestic Violence Awareness Campaign with the Queensland Indigenous Family Violence Legal Service. Additionally, she also is a First Nations facilitator and a member of the Pacific Australian Emerging Leaders Network.
Talicia Minniecon’s work is a bridge – a powerful thread weaving together her passion for community, justice, and creativity, anchored in a deep connection to family and culture. She crafts pathways that ignite pride, opening doors for future generations to thrive, rooted in the strength of their identity, and the promise of a future built on our culture, wisdom, and resilience.
WHAT IS YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF 26TH JAN AND WHAT WAS IT REFERRED TO BY YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY & PEERS AT THAT TIME (EG. INVASION DAY, AUSTRALIA DAY)?
I was in grade 11 the year Jessica Mauboy was on Australian Idol, and I remember seeing news reports about some members of the First Nations community expressing strong criticism of her involvement in a major “Australia Day” event.
HOW DO YOU FEEL IN THE LEAD UP TO 26TH JAN?
I’m so exhausted. It’s been a lot, especially coming off the back of Christmas and the holidays, and then diving straight into preparations for our local Invasion Day rally.
The way racism is heightened during this period only makes it all feel even more draining and disheartening, especially considering the ignorance that still persists in this country.
HOW DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL TO SEE PEOPLE CELEBRATE ON THAT DAY?
Right now, I’m feeling really sad. It’s hard to grasp how people can intentionally celebrate on a day when an entire community is mourning and in distress. It often leaves me feeling hopeless about the state of humanity.
That said, I do hold onto some hope, knowing there are many people who are taking the time to educate themselves and learn more about this country’s colonial history.
HOW DO YOU SPEND INVASION DAY?
With my family and my mob, I co-founded a First Nations & Global Indigenous movement focused on creating community-led spaces that amplify Indigenous businesses, creatives, and excellence. I’m usually supporting events that give artists and business owners a platform to showcase their incredible work.
When I’m not doing that, you’ll find me at a community rally with my walbai (children), walking the streets of Gimuy, making sure this city knows we’re here, and we’re not going anywhere.
SOME MOB GO TO PROTESTS ON 26TH, WHILE OTHERS DON’T FEEL UP TO DOING THAT. WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR MOB TO LOOK AFTER THEMSELVES ON INVASION DAY?
I learned from my Aunty, we must always listen to our Wawu (spirit), for it is the pulse of our spirit, the guide that leads us through this world. Our Wawu, so deeply entwined, calls us to peace — to feel it, to sense it, in every breath, in every step. If peace whispers to you to stand at a rally, then go.
If peace calls you to sit by the creek, the ocean, let country hold you, heal you, recharge you — be still. If peace rests in the pages of a journal, or in the words of First Nations stories, or in the flicker of a mob movie — then rest.
We are not machines, we are guided by the rhythm of our Wawu.
A people in tune, with the land, with the sky, with the whispers of the ancestors. Whatever your Wawu speaks, pursue it.
Protect your boundaries, and show up fully, in the way that serves you best.
Never forget: our very existence is resistance. We don’t have to do anything grand — just waking up Black, just breathing in our skin, is life-giving. And that alone, is enough.
WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WANT NON-INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS TO KNOW ABOUT 26TH JAN?
I want you to know that January 26th is not a day of pride for all.
It is a day of sorrow, woven with the threads of grief, for it marks the invasion of our land, the beginning of a silence forced upon our people.
For us, it is not a celebration, but a remembrance of loss— the loss of country, of culture, of language, of lives cut short or broken.
It is the weight we carry, generation after generation, the echo of our ancestors’ cries, still heard in the wind, still felt in the earth beneath our feet.
To understand this, is not to erase the past, but to see it in its fullness.
To recognise that healing begins with truth, with respect, and with a shared commitment to walk together, towards a future where every voice is honoured, and every story heard.
Lindyn Rowland – Founder of Rowland Vision
Lindyn Rowland. Image supplied.
FIRSTLY, INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND TELL US WHAT YOU DO…
My name is Lindyn Rowland, a proud Wiradjuri & Waiben Island man born on Awabakal/Worimi Country, and currently living in Naarm/Melbourne, on Wurundjeri Country.
I am the Founder, Creative Director & Head Stylist of ROWLAND VISION, the first & only independently owned First Nations eyewear brand.
I am a Community Engagement Officer at Djirra, supporting Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander women who experience family & domestic violence.
I was also honoured to be the Head Stylist for the David Jones Indigenous Fashion Projects Runway at Australian Fashion Week 2024.
WHAT IS YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF 26TH JAN AND WHAT WAS IT REFERRED TO BY YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY & PEERS AT THAT TIME (EG. INVASION DAY, AUSTRALIA DAY)?
My earliest memory of January 26th is high school, and it was predominantly referred to as ‘Australia Day’ unfortunately, especially with the lack of education we have today.
HOW DO YOU FEEL IN THE LEAD UP TO 26TH JAN?
I personally get really anxious, and the anxiety stems from what I am about to see/hear in the lead up to the date (which is mostly racism, sadly).
HOW DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL TO SEE PEOPLE CELEBRATE ON THAT DAY?
Frustrated, I can’t explain how some can be so ignorant.
HOW DO YOU SPEND INVASION DAY?
I spend every Invasion Day with mob, especially at local Invasion Day marches, and for the last 4 years living in Melbourne I have attended Share The Spirit Festival after the marches.
SOME MOB GO TO PROTESTS ON 26TH, WHILE OTHERS DON’T FEEL UP TO DOING THAT. WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR MOB TO LOOK AFTER THEMSELVES ON INVASION DAY?
Please look after yourself, and your wellbeing. Especially on a day that has so much pain & visible racism. I recommend being around your mob, your people, and your friends that show up for not only Blak lives, but yours.
WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WANT NON-INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS TO KNOW ABOUT 26TH JAN?
Abolish The Date. We have come too far for Non-Indigenous people to be so ignorant to celebrate this country.
Tishara Garrett – Founder of KYKOE
Tishara Garrett. Image supplied.
FIRSTLY, INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND TELL US WHAT YOU DO…
My name is Tishara. I am a Butchulla, Barada Barna, and Saisarem woman, as well as a wife, mother, and the founder of KYKOE.
WHAT IS YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF 26TH JAN AND WHAT WAS IT REFERRED TO BY YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY & PEERS AT THAT TIME (EG. INVASION DAY, AUSTRALIA DAY)?
I can’t distinctly remember my earliest memory however it was always referred to as ‘Australia Day’ by friends growing up.
HOW DO YOU FEEL IN THE LEAD UP TO 26TH JAN?
I’m always very anxious as the 26th approaches.
HOW DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL TO SEE PEOPLE CELEBRATE ON THAT DAY?
It makes me feel angry, but mostly I worry for my children and what they will have to face as they grow older and step further into society.
HOW DO YOU SPEND INVASION DAY?
Our day depends on how we are feeling emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Some years we’ve marched and some we’ve chosen to spend at home or with family.
SOME MOB GO TO PROTESTS ON 26TH, WHILE OTHERS DON’T FEEL UP TO DOING THAT. WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR MOB TO LOOK AFTER THEMSELVES ON INVASION DAY?
This looks different for everyone – be that staying at home, being on Country, spending the day with mob or disabling socials etc.
WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WANT NON-INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS TO KNOW ABOUT 26TH JAN?
I want non-Indigenous Australians to understand that the 26th is a day that marks deep pain and loss for us. There is so much misinformation about this date, often spread by those who don’t fully understand or acknowledge its true history.
It signifies the beginning of colonisation, the dispossession of land, the loss of lives, and the dismantling of culture, language, and families.
This history isn’t just in the past – it continues to affect us mob today. The trauma, systemic inequalities, and racism are still very present. It’s not about rewriting history; it’s about telling the truth, listening to our voices, and working together towards understanding and a better future.
Elissa Cora – Founder of FLYY BOD
Our founder Elissa
WHAT IS YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF 26TH JAN AND WHAT WAS IT REFERRED TO BY YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY & PEERS AT THAT TIME (EG. INVASION DAY, AUSTRALIA DAY)?
My first memory of the 26th January is from primary school, everyone referred to it as ‘Australia Day’. I hadn’t even heard of anyone using the terminology Survival Day or Invasion Day until high school, and only ever from mob.
HOW DO YOU FEEL IN THE LEAD UP TO 26TH JAN?
I feel super anxious, the anxiety starts about a month out. We get through Christmas and it’s straight into the debate. The news has segments where they debate the topic EVERY SINGLE YEAR and it never includes a black voice. It’s uncomfortable, it’s sad and it makes me really frustrated that we’re still here.
It’s hard to explain the uncomfortability you experience as a First Nations person when people feel like they can debate or argue their point of view in front of you.
The blatant racism that we experience in January every year, particularly online makes me anxious every year. Even on my business account I will get private messages saying horrible things.
We all do, mob cop it at this time of year, all over wanting a day of mourning to be acknowledged and respected. How sad is that?
HOW DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL TO SEE PEOPLE CELEBRATE ON THAT DAY?
I feel a mixture of emotions. Anger, sadness, disheartened. It’s just a slap in the face.
It makes me worried about having jarjums (children) myself, because I never want them to deal with the racism that we’ve had to see. I want them to feel proud and deadly all the time, all year round – not get anxiety over this.
HOW DO YOU SPEND INVASION DAY?
I mostly stay on Country and if there's a quiet spot I’ll go for a swim, because I feel like I need to be near the biren (saltwater).
SOME MOB GO TO PROTESTS ON 26TH, WHILE OTHERS DON’T FEEL UP TO DOING THAT. WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR MOB TO LOOK AFTER THEMSELVES ON INVASION DAY?
Practice self care!! We often as mob feel a sense of responsibility and obligation to take part in protests to show strength in numbers for our people, but you have to look after yourself too.
Listen to what your mind and body needs, there’s no right or wrong as a First Nations person and what you feel you need to do for yourself on that day.
I personally this year feel a little exhausted by the debate already - I will be tuning into the live stream on Yabun Festival to see some of our deadly mob perform.
WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WANT NON-INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS TO KNOW ABOUT 26TH JAN?
I guess I want them to know how hurtful this whole time is for our people. Racism is real and alive and it's at its worst this time of year.
I think I would ask people to sit back and actually remove the usual reasons to justify the celebration and dig deep about what it really means to them.
I challenge Australia Day supporters to remove the thoughts of ‘they should get over it’, ‘I wasn’t born yet’, ‘what about our service men and women’, ‘I’m proud to be Australian’ arguments. They don’t hold any weight, it’s just stubborn statements at this point. Our military gets ANZAC Day, it acknowledges the wars that service men and women were part of and risked their lives for their country.
First Nations people were slaughtered and mistreated during the The Frontier Wars for over 100 years! Yet our people don’t have any national day of acknowledgement AND anyone who suggests we should experience hate and is usually met with racist comments?
The math ain’t mathing – it’s really sad and taxing to even have to find new ways to explain it every year in the hope that people will finally get it – but here we are…
All I can say is I’m really proud of my people, I’m proud of my culture and I’m proud of the colour of my skin. I’m proud to be Aboriginal and I’m proud of our survival and resilience.
Driving change
January 26th is a moment for deep reflection – a chance for allies to learn, unlearn and actively advocate for truth and justice.
It’s a time to amplify First Nations voices, engage with the stories shared and challenge systems that perpetuate harm.
For mob, it’s a reminder to prioritise community, unite, heal and support one another. At FLYY BOD, we stand with First Nations communities in this journey toward healing.
Our hope is for a future founded on respect, truth and justice
You can help drive change by signing this petition by Clothing the Gaps to urge the Prime Minister to reconsider this date. Together, we can acknowledge the profound significance of this day and address the harm of celebrating so-called ‘Australia Day’ on January 26.