Here’s Where To Buy Indigenous This Survival Day
As January 26 draws closer, debate about changing the date of Australia’s national holiday ramps up but so does the feeling of anxiety and loss among Indigenous people.
Political issues aside, Survival Day is an opportunity to celebrate Indigenous excellency and, according to Tiddas 4 Tiddas co-founder Marlee Silva, “talk about the resilience of our people, demonstrated in how Indigenous Australians have survived all we have since this first point of invasion.”
One way of being an ally this Survival Day is to support Indigenous business. In fact, there is a whole Instagram account, Blak Business, dedicated to sharing the works of mob all over Australia.
Olivia Williams, a proud Wiradjuri woman, runs the account and provides followers with accessible explainers on various topics around Indigenous Australia.
A post shared by Run by a Koori Sista 🐨 (@blakbusiness) on Jan 23, 2020 at 12:58am PST
“Purchasing and wearing merchandise such as jewellery, clothing and tote bags from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses is one way allies can support the Indigenous community,” she said in an Instagram post while breaking down the question “is it OK for non-Indigenous people to wear Indigenous merch?”
While acknowledging there is no right or wrong answer, Olivia said “many Indigenous businesses and creators create their merchandise for the general population and take pride in seeing their goods being celebrated and worn throughout society by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.”
Blak Business highlights that Indigenous merch provides representation in the wider community and can be utilised to shine a light on Indigenous culture and issues in spaces where those conversations may not have previously happened.
“For this reason, it is important that allies know who they are buying from and what the merchandise is about,” Olivia said.
