THE Gunditjmara-led ceremony at the Convincing Ground massacre site on January 26 has grown year on year as a recognition of Indigenous suffering, and an alternative to Australia Day celebrations.

Aiming to acknowledge the suffering that the arrival of the First Fleet symbolises to the Indigenous community, the event will include a smoking ceremony and minute’s silence, before conversations about the local Gunditjmara history of the area, and the ongoing impacts of colonisation.

“We’re asking those who do attend to come with an open mind and respect for the day…which mourns the loss of culture, language, the dispossession of land,” said young Gunditjmara leader Chris Saunders, who is again organising the event.

“Celebrating Australia Day as a nation on January 26 removes our voice from the conversation, it's so heartbreaking to be told to just move on from something that was so profound.

“Those old ways of thinking they're still there, but having an event like this brings to light that we are so much more open to having bigger community discussions that involve everybody.”

The event is family friendly and will start at 10am next Thursday at the end of Dutton Way, with Mr Saunders encourages those who attend to bring a wreath or flowers.

Afterwards, at noon, a second event at the Ploughed field on Bentinck Street will be held, where for a gold coin donation, food and entertainment will be provided, and also an opportunity for conversations about the day.

The ceremony is something that Gunditjmara families have been doing for a long time, Mr Saunders said, but over the past five years the broader local community has been invited along to learn and show support.

In 2019, The Observer reported that 22 Indigenous and non-Indigenous people turned out to the event at the end of Dutton Way, with attendance growing rapidly to over 300 just two years later, before COVID forced a break last year.

“It's been really well received; people are eager to show their support stand in solidarity with local mob which is a really important thing because we have such a unique standpoint here,” Mr Saunders said.

“The Portland area and Gunditjmara country have so many early colonial stories that are so celebrated, but at the same time our families being the butt of the story in some respects, or their part of the story being disregarded.

“I feel like it's not acknowledged, for the Henty brothers’ stories to be celebrated and immortalized but the stories of the 59 clan groups, that only a number of still exist today, have been wiped from existence.

“So, the people who called Portland home for many generations, there's no acknowledgement of them, for their stories and families and life here for generations before the land was colonised.

“That’s pretty much what we’re doing, taking some time out of the day to remember them and acknowledge what we have lost as a people, on the Day of Mourning.”

There is a long history of protest from the Indigenous community on January 26th - in 1938, ahead of national celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary and of the First Fleet’s arrival, Aboriginal leaders and organisations promoted protests and meetings across the nation.

A conference in Sydney dubbed the ‘Day of Mourning and Protest’ was attended by civil right leaders from across the country, and is considered the first major cooperative effort of Aboriginal rights groups from the different states.

Mr Saunders points out that the Day of Mourning was declared well before all States and Territories were unified in celebrating the date as Australia Day.

As well as commemorating part of Australia’s history, Mr Saunders said the event is a form of protest of Australia Day.

“It acknowledges the Day of Mourning, that it’s not a day where we should be celebrating.

“We want to have some conversations as well about how that event on the day rivals the Glenelg Shire Council’s planned events to hold Australia Day citizenship ceremonies, which our community through the official pathways have discussed with them and made known that we don't want any events to happen on January 26 that are celebrating Australia.”

The reasoning that there is a requirement to hold citizenship ceremonies on that date does not carry much water according to Mr Saunders, noting the two Melbourne council’s that took on the Federal Government in 2017 and were stripped of their power to hold the ceremonies at all.

New Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs Andrew Giles returned the powers following the federal election last year, and changes have been made to now allow Councils to hold the ceremonies on a day of their choosing, a move described as “undermining the significance of Australia Day” by member for Wannon Dan Tehan.

“Of course, that’s the inner city and it’s not going to translate directly to South-West Victoria, but there’s obvious pathways for the council,” said Mr Saunders.

“They have Indigenous community members and organisations who are willing to help, offering to put us in a good standpoint where everybody can have their say on that day.

“If those conversations are getting to the council and they are disregarding it anyway, it speaks volumes about what the day really is.”

Neighbouring Moyne Shire this year has make changes to the way it recognises the day, opening the morning of events with a smoking ceremony, welcome to country and stories of Indigenous experiences from a local Elder at the massacre memorial in Port Fairy.

“We have worked closely with local Elders and the local Indigenous community to ensure we are taking an appropriate approach which takes into account how difficult this day can be for our First Nation’s people,” said Moyne Mayor Karen Foster.