[talk-au] First Nations flags?

[Warin]

On 13/12/21 4:38 pm, Mark Rattigan wrote:
> I may be nit-picking, but (as I understand it) the Australian Aboriginal Flag and Torres Strait Islander Flag have been recognised as the flags of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Australia and as flags of significance to the Australian nation and thus been appointed by proclamation of the Governor General as flags of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples respectively, but NOT National Flags.
>
>
> The Flags Act 1953 https://www.legislation.gov.au/Latest/C2008C00376 declares only one National Flag - the 'blue flag"
> "The blue flag ... is declared to be the Australian National Flag."
>
> The Governor-General may, by Proclamation, appoint such other flags and ensigns of Australia as he thinks fit, and has done so as below:
>
> Proclamation under the Flags Act 1953 (Australian Aboriginal Flag): https://www.legislation.gov.au/Latest/F2008L00209
> "acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council and noting the fact that the flag ... is recognised as the flag of the Aboriginal peoples of Australia and a flag of significance to the Australian nation generally, appoint that flag, ... to be the flag of the Aboriginal peoples of Australia and to be known as the Australian Aboriginal Flag..."
>
> Proclamation under the Flags Act 1953 (Torres Strait Islander Flag): https://www.legislation.gov.au/Latest/F2008L00210
> " acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council and noting the fact that the flag ... is recognised as the flag of the Torres Strait Islander people of Australia and a flag of significance to the Australian nation generally, appoint that flag ... to be the flag of the Torres Strait Islander people of Australia and to be known as the Torres Strait Islander Flag..."
>
>
> The flags are undoubtedly of significance and represent their respective peoples, but they don't meet the description from the OSM wiki for flag:type=national being "the main civil flag of a nation", and have not been declared by the Flags Act 1953 to be such.
>
> I second the suggestion of flag:type=indigenous - none of the other already defined flag:types really fit.
>
> Cheers
> Mark


You make some good points..

Also see

https://www.pmc.gov.au/government/australian-national-symbols/australian-flags

Protocol - blue fag takes honor over state/territory flag/s then the 
Aboriginal flag ...

https://www.racgp.org.au/FSDEDEV/media/documents/Faculties/ATSI/NFATSIH-flag-protocal.pdf


In general ? A national flag is a flag (singular) that represents and 
symbolizes a given nation.


I too would take the view of flag:type=indigenous being the 'best fit'.