Channel 10 kicked off celebrating NAIDOC week by using traditional Indigenous names for Australian cities in its daily weather bulletin.
The theme of NAIDOC week this year is healing country, which means embracing First Nation’s cultural knowledge and understanding of Country as part of Australia’s national heritage.
Channel 10, used NAIDOC week as an opportunity to change the colonised names of Australian cities back to the traditional Indigenous names, with the traditional names appearing on the Australian map.
Weather reporter Amanda Jason said, “Here at Channel 10, We will be doing weather a bit differently this week, during NAODIC week, we will be acknowledging traditional place names. “
The weather report has since gone viral on social media.
Wish it could continue every day not just NAIDOC https://t.co/czGTVcX3eh
— Professor Bindi Bennett (she/hers/G/Kamilaroi) (@BindiBennett) July 5, 2021
Channel 10 unexpectedly showed the Aboriginal names for places on their weather map tonight… fantastic! Happy NAIDOC 🖤💛❤️ pic.twitter.com/i0W2Fbrblo
— Kim Collins (@kimCollins43) July 5, 2021
Loving yur work Channel 10 to acknowledge NAIDOC week and use traditional Aboriginal names for our cities 👏🏻👏🏻@10NewsFirstQLD @10NewsFirst @naidocweek #inclusion #FirstNations pic.twitter.com/Ik4cKUKMPw
— Mayor Tanya Milligan (@CrTanyaMilligan) July 5, 2021
Of course, not everyone was a fan.
Paul Murray said on his show Paul Murray Live, that airs on Sky News Australia, “Channel 10, which is owned by an American company, that doesn’t have an awful lot of indigenous presenters certainly not in any prime time roles,
“Well, they decided the way they would solve racism is to change the place names on the weather map. All that matters is Twitter loved and Twitter did love it,
“So, ladies and gentlemen I’m pleased to say, July 2021 – racism solved by Channel 10.”
Murray seemingly failed to remember Channel 10 presenter Narelda Jacobs, who is a panellist on the prime time show, Studio 10.
