Indigenous leaders are calling for Victoria to make room on its public holiday calendar to formally mark NAIDOC Week.
As 2022 NAIDOC Week drew to a close, the democratically elected First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria started a petition to create a NAIDOC Day public holiday.
"We have public holidays for horse races, invasions, footy games, wars and the birthday of foreign monarchs, but we don't have a day to share and celebrate the history and culture of First Peoples," the online petition reads.
Assembly co-chair Marcus Stewart told NITV News, that it's not about 'why' but instead 'why not'.
“We are often going to be asked the question about why it is important to have a public holiday to celebrate First Nations People and NAIDOC in particular," he said.
"I think we need to change that conversation and pivot it – why shouldn’t we have it?
"We celebrate horse races, grand finals, monarchs, we need to have a conversation about what is critically important to the cultural and social fabric of this state Victoria."
The Nira illim bulluk man acknowledged the New Zealand public holiday that celebrations the signing of the Waitangi Treaty.
"It's time that Victoria had an official day that celebrates First Peoples too," he said.
Victoria has the equal most full public holidays of any Australian state or territory at 13, including for the Melbourne Cup and on the eve of the AFL grand final.
'Why not lead the way again'
Mr Stewart said he was "pretty excited" at the possibility of a day to celebrate First Nations People.
“We haven’t had any guarantee from the government . . . we have our fingers crossed that all Victorians can celebrate a public holiday that is a true celebration of our community’s resilience and resistance and the majestic nature of our culture," he said.
Whilst there has been no guarantee as of yet, Mr Stewart is confident it'll be yet another thing Victoria will lead the way on.
“Friday would be fitting, it’s the day we march — it’s the day we march here in Victoria. We hope to see this happen nationally, if that’s not the case we can get started, we can get cracking," he said.
“We have an expectation we’ll lead the way that we do on many other things, we’re doing some deadly work down here.
“We aren’t going to wait for the movement to happen nationally . . . why not lead the way again!
Assured in the support from First Nations Peoples and allies, Mr Stewart said the holiday is a crucial step forward for the state and the nation.
NAIDOC Week's origins can be traced to the emergence of Aboriginal groups in the 1920s that sought to raise awareness of the status and treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
Yoorrook Chair, Professor Eleanor Bourke (right) with Co-Chair of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, Aunty Geraldine Atkinson. Source: AAP/DIEGO FEDELE
"Rather than a public holiday that rubs salt into our community's wounds, a NAIDOC Day public holiday would be inclusive, and would be an opportunity to educate everyone about our history and our culture," fellow assembly co-chair Aunty Geraldine Atkinson said.
Thousands marched through central Melbourne on Friday as part of NAIDOC Week festivities, as the state forges ahead with its truth and treaty process.
