For white Australia, the 26th of January has long been a day of ‘celebration’, but for the First Nations Peoples, the day could not be less of a celebration.
The 26th of January – known as Invasion Day, or Survival Day – sees white Australians getting the day off to get on the piss and cover their body in some form of the Aussie flag. However, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders fail to see what there is to celebrate and is more a reminder of the things they lost through the colonisation of Australia.
The day is a commemoration of the loss of the rights to their land, loss of their family, loss of the right to exercise their culture, and the beginning of genocides, oppression and discrimination which still permeate through Australia today.
Where’s the pride in genocide?
And while the 26th of January may have been and gone for 2022, our support for First Nations people and First Nations businesses isn’t going anywhere.
So without further ado, MGG would like to shed a spotlight on a handful of queer & First Nation owned businesses who are shaking things up in their respective fields and also make us beam with pride.
HAUS OF DIZZY (@HAUSOFDIZZY)
Steering the ship at Haus of Dizzy is Kristy Dickinson. The queen of bling has risen to popularity for creating eye catching, playfully brazen jewellery that always makes a statement, while honouring and celebrating indigenous culture. The handmade jewellery is made to evoke joy and empower everyone who wears it.
WURRUMAY COLLECTIVE (@WURRUMAY_COLLECTIVE)
This home, fragrance, luxury bath and body brand is helmed by Gomeroi woman Natasha Kaiser. This family-run business may be small, but it offers a wide array of products, from fashion accessories like their groovy earrings and unique homewears, but what Wurrumay Collective are most famous for are their tantalising bath goods that can transform any ordinary bath into a day making experience. As a lover of pampering myself and others, this brand is a personal fav of mine. Their whipped body scrub always leaves my skin feeling silky smooth and smelling good BUT most importantly, nourished. It’s even gentle enough to use on your face.
COFFINBIRTH (@COFFINBIRTH)
28 yr old Wiradjuri illustrator and viral sensation, Charlotte Allingham (aka @Coffinbith) on Instagram is an artist that seamlessly blends her style of whimsically vibrant and captivating drawings, with her Aboriginal background, often touching political and social issues and exploring themes of body positivity, Blak power and the impacts of colonisation.
SOLWATA MANA (@SOLWATAMANA)
This queer Black and Pacifica owned apparel brand stocks an eclectic range of playful pins, striking earrings as well as their simplistic t-shirts that pack powerful punches, with messages like “You’re on Stolen Land” and “Burn The Colony” to name a few, Solwata Mana is “healing project” that you can feel good about spending with.
DREAMTIME AROHA (@DREAMTIME_AROHA)
For a long time, if you were Blak (or anything other than white), it was hard to find a doll that represented you in a flattering light, if any at all. This Aboriginal-owned-and-operated doll shop specialises in making dolls that represent the first nations peoples. These adorably cute dolls typically dawn face paint, curly hair, and indigenous garb, sparking joy and affirm to the kid who holds it, that they and their culture matter just as much as everyone else’s.