Reserve January 26th as Day of Mourning Petition 

As a Traditional Custodian Led Group of the Greater Shepparton Area, we directly  know the the weight and pain of  lasting scars of colonial impacts that commenced in the 1700s in this continent and since the mid 1800’s locally . The day of January 26th serves as a haunting reminder of the original colonial wrath that led to the severe destruction and genocidal impacts on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across this continent. Local impacts resonate deeply in our hearts as massacres were carried out on several sacred sites on Yorta Yorta land. 

In 1938, our ancestors stood up for their rights and those of other Indigenous people on Gadigal lands, marking the first Day of Mourning event to mark and reflect on the first colonial impacts on this continent. 

We believe it is of utmost importance to continue as they did  with courage and dedication to this vital cause. In doing this ensuring that their fight was not in vain and that justice leads the way in how progression is made on our lands . Thus we, the Shepparton & Mooroopna Yorta Yorta community, represent the voices that echo throughout time, seeking justice, understanding, and remembrance for all that has come before , and sadly the devastating losses of life, cultural practice, and desecration of our lan.  

Our lobbying around this matter aligns directly to our custodial rights to Mourn as Traditional Custodians as a part of our cultural continuation as supported by human rights charters such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 

We are petitioning the Greater Shepparton City Council to reserve January 26th as a day to mourn the colonial impacts faced by our ancestors and our community from the period of first contact where severe atrocities occurred such as significant loss of human life through genocidal regimes  , destruction of land , and cultural ways of life . We believe that  a public recognition of this  represents an  crucial step toward healing and reconciling with our past and progressing into a future of healing and unity grounded in a collective recognition of how  all have come to be here today. 

Furthermore, we are urging the council to honour their Reconciliation Commitment enumerated in point 9.5 of their RAP plan to devise an inclusive celebration event on a day other than January 26th. By doing this, we can foster an environment that acknowledges our diverse histories and experiences. We believe this will pave the way for a more inclusive future that is respectful of the 80,000 plus years of Indigenous histories of this land and how that has shaped how we have come to be where we are today, benefiting from this collectively.

We appeal to your sense of justice,  due consideration and  respect for our shared past, inviting you now to take part in the making of history for the better.

Stand with us, sign this petition, and together we can march towards a future founded on a shared sense of humanity , recognition, acceptance, justice and unity on Kaieltheban Woka, Yorta Yorta Lotjpa Woka.