roncos

I think it’s time we change the Aboriginal flag. The flag is not an original Aboriginal symbol. Traditional Aboriginal tribes did not use flags. They had no woven cloth, no sewn banners, and no concept of a single rectangular emblem flown on poles. The Aboriginal flag was designed in 1971 by Harold Thomas, a Luritja artist, as a political symbol for a specific land rights rally in Adelaide. It is a modern creation that follows European flag conventions. While Thomas chose black for the people, red for the earth and ochre, and yellow for the sun, these were one individual’s interpretations in a 20th-century political context — not an expression of ancient pan-Aboriginal tradition. There was no broad consultation, no consensus among tribes, and no formal acceptance. It was simply an activist political symbol. Its only real connection to Aboriginal culture is the Aboriginality of its designer. Australia deserves a new Aboriginal symbol, one developed through genuine, wide-ranging consultation with elders from many tribes, and one rooted more deeply in pre-colonial artistic traditions rather than a 1971 activist banner. The current flag, however meaningful it has become to some, is a product of recent political history, not timeless Aboriginal heritage. It is time to move forward with a more authentic replacement.