‘Celebration of country’: South West elders Dennis Jetta and Lesley Ugle call for unity ahead of January 26

Two of the South West region’s most prominent Aboriginal elders have called for January 26 to be a day for “celebration of country” and urged communities to “work together” in moving forward. Bunbury elder and pastor Dennis Jetta will deliver the welcome to country at the Australind Australia Day ceremony for the third time and said he wants to see people “treat it as a day we enjoy together”. He said celebrating Australia Day on January 26 — the day British settlers first set foot on Aboriginal land — did not bother him, despite having caused furious debate across the country, as long as the history was respected and marked appropriately. “I’m not worried about it, it doesn’t make any difference to me,” he said. “A lot of people make a lot of noise about it, but you can’t change what has happened in the past. “We have got to look forward to something better in the future — we have got to work together on the good things.” “Aboriginal people, we lost our dignity back when the white men came, but we have got to move on from here. “There is no good arguing over it all the time.” The sentiment was echoed by Harvey resident and Noongar elder Lesley Ugle, who said Australia’s First Nations people should remain front of mind on the day. “Australia Day is a celebration of our country,” she said. “I think it is time we all started walking on this country together, being of the same mind, feeling the country and listening to the country as we all should.” The circumspect views come ahead of Wednesday’s Australia Day celebrations, which will happen in towns and cities across the region, including the return of Bunbury’s Skyfest celebrations, which were controversially canned last year. Mrs Ugle, who will deliver the welcome to country in Harvey, said she was pleased to be a part of the event, as she feels it is the start of an important conversation. “I have always been invited to do welcome to country, I’ve been doing it for the last few years, I’m happy to do it because it does start a conversation,” she said.