"It's just a flag! Right?": Interactions with the Australian National Flag

The Australian flag is the primary symbol of national identity and can be found in all manner of places. Indeed the flag is so prevalent, such a constant in everyday life, that it becomes unnoticeable, unremarkable; a taken for granted symbol of authority which carries the Union Jack as its official point of honour. This seminar investigates the relationship between the intersections of flag, nation and identity. Indigenist Standpoint Pedagogy alongside vexillology are used to deconstruct how the flag makes meaning. Critical engagement with, and reflective analysis of how the flag has been employed, its history and symbolism, enables deeper understandings about the Australian nation and highlights how the the flag has underpinned, influenced, and continues to influence, relationships that Indigenous Australians and non-Indigenous Australians have not only with the nation, but also with each other.