Jillian Mundy

My people, the Pakana (the Tasmanian Aboriginal people), have endured attempted genocide, murder, rape and persecution. We have campaigned for two centuries, to be treated with dignity, have our identity recognised, have rights and a voice, for land returns, and heritage protection, amongst other things. We have endured being researched, measured, sampled, grave robbed and studied against our express wishes. On Saturday March 20, edgy Tasmanian winter arts festival Dark Mofo put out a call for the blood of First Nations people from territories ‘colonised’ by the British. They had commissioned an artist to soak the Union Jack flag (aka the Butchers Apron) in the blood and display it. The call was met with outrage. Three days later the controversial proposal was withdrawn and apologies issued by Dark Mofo director Leigh Carmichael and MONA founder David Walsh. The artist, Spaniard, Santiago Sierra, said the project is against colonialism and was calling for 470 ml (almost two cups) of blood from each First Nations donor. That amount of blood is the same amount taken when you donate at the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood. Currently, 31,000 donations are needed every week across Australia to help patients in times of trauma, major surgery, cancer treatment, pregnancy and a host of other situations. One in three Australians will need donated blood in their lifetime. (You can find out more or book a spot here to make a life-saving donation.) Sierra said his planned ‘art’ was “‘an ac