{"id":85067,"date":"2022-01-26T04:15:48","date_gmt":"2022-01-26T04:15:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=85067"},"modified":"2022-01-26T04:15:48","modified_gmt":"2022-01-26T04:15:48","slug":"the-commonwealth-bought-the-aboriginal-flag-has-it-been-freed-or-colonised-by-dana-morse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/the-commonwealth-bought-the-aboriginal-flag-has-it-been-freed-or-colonised-by-dana-morse\/","title":{"rendered":"The Commonwealth bought the Aboriginal flag. Has it been ‘freed’ or colonised? By Dana Morse"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Commonwealth bought the Aboriginal flag. Has it been ‘freed’ or colonised? By\u00a0Dana Morse<\/a><\/span><\/h1>\n

Source:<\/span>abc.net.au<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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\"The
The Aboriginal flag represents Australia’s Indigenous people, their lives and their connection to land.(ABC: Mitchell Woolnough)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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In the words of the Prime Minister, the Aboriginal flag is now free to be used by all Australians.<\/span><\/p>\n

More than 50 years after the\u00a0flag was designed, the federal government has acquired the copyright in a $20 million deal with Luritja artist Harold Thomas.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The
The “Free the Flag” movement has been spearheaded by Clothing the Gaps chief executive Laura Thompson.(Supplied: Laura Thompson)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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But is that what Aboriginal people really want \u2014\u00a0for all Australians to have equal access to what has long been recognised as a symbol of Aboriginal power and resistance?<\/span><\/p>\n

It has been celebrated as a win after a hard-fought campaign dubbed “Free the Flag”, spearheaded by Clothing the Gaps chief executive Laura Thompson.<\/span><\/p>\n

The campaign called for the Aboriginal flag to be treated like every other officially recognised flag in the world, freeing it from licensing agreements and allowing Aboriginal people to have equal rights and access.<\/span><\/p>\n

But now the ownership will lie with the Commonwealth \u2014 the same power that has eroded the rights and committed atrocities against Aboriginal people since 1788 \u2014 and that has left many people in the Indigenous community uneasy.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a world where ownership is implicitly aligned with power, many Aboriginal people feel the flag should have been returned to the community as an act of empowerment.<\/span><\/p>\n

This would be in line with the principles of self-determination, which are central to addressing inequalities between Aboriginal people and the rest of Australia.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The
Harold Thomas took inspiration from Anzac Hill when he designed the Aboriginal flag.(ABC News: Nick Hose)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Who gets to use the Aboriginal flag now?<\/span><\/h2>\n

The flag represents Aboriginal people, their lives and their connection to land.<\/span><\/p>\n

Allowing free use of the design raises some ethical questions about who should be allowed to profit from Aboriginal symbols.<\/span><\/p>\n

Previously, Thomas decided who would be allowed to reproduce his design.<\/span><\/p>\n

He gave licences to three companies: WAM Clothing, Gifts Mate and Flagworld, none of which are owned by Indigenous people.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now the Prime Minister says the flag is free to be used by anyone without seeking permission or paying a fee, as long as it is presented in a “respectful and dignified way”.<\/span><\/p>\n