‘Really disheartening’: Savannah Fynn reveals truth behind viral State of Origin moment
She broke the internet after the State of Origin opener, at which she delivered the First Nations Welcome to Country. Now Savannah Fynn reveals what really happened that night.
Stellar
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Standing on stage in front of 80,000 NRL fans at the State of Origin opening match earlier this month, Savannah Fynn was understandably nervous.
The 22-year-old university student, who was there to deliver the First Nations Acknowledgement and Welcome to Country, had practised for hours beforehand and felt ready. Still, it was nerve-racking to see the sheer number of people in the crowd at Sydney’s Accor Stadium.
“I was just so worried I would stutter or mess up my words because I’d never spoken in front of that many people,” the Sydney-based Fynn tells Stellar. “But once I finished, I felt a moment of relief. I ran straight over to my nan, obviously one of my Elders, and I gave her a big hug and a cuddle.”
Fynn needn’t have worried. Her speech was widely praised, quickly gaining traction on social media and going viral. Even before she stepped off the podium, she had received 500 follow requests on her private Instagram account – and a week later, had amassed more than 3000 followers.
Listen to the latest episode of Stellar’s podcast, Something To Talk About, below:
“It’s definitely an overwhelming feeling, getting all this attention. It’s not something I’m used to at all,” Fynn admits.
“I’m a very quiet person so this is a big change. Even though it’s all positive, I struggle with taking compliments and I get a bit shy. I’m kind of ready for it to die down!”
While Fynn’s address was praised by many viewers, it also drew criticism from some online, who branded it “drawn out” and “corporate”, as well as other derogatory comments.
“As sad as it is, being a lighter skin colour, I’ve received a lot of hate for that. A lot of people have picked on the way I look, the way I speak, even coming down to having blonde hair. My hair is actually dark, I’ve just dyed it blonde,” Flynn says with an exasperated sigh.
“I think people also get very confused as to what an Acknowledgement and Welcome actually is. We’re not welcoming you to Australia; obviously you live here.
“We’re welcoming you to the traditional owners of that land and acknowledging the traditional land. And in terms of comments about overuse, I feel you have to respect everyone’s opinions, even if you may not agree.
“Being a First Nations person, I find it wonderful seeing my culture embraced. But obviously you can’t please everyone.”
Singer Dylan Wright could also testify to that – he received a torrent of online abuse following his acoustic version of the national anthem at the State of Origin game.
“I found it disgusting the way people were speaking about poor Dylan,” Fynn says. “It was really disheartening and it made my heart hurt.”
The eldest of five siblings, Fynn is now setting out to be a positive role model – and to keep showing “young Indigenous people that we can get up and speak”.
She’s focused on completing her degree in social work and looking forward to marking NAIDOC Week (for the National Aborigines’ and Islanders’ Day Observance Committee), from July 7.
“NAIDOC Week brings awareness to our culture,” she says. “Similarly to people getting annoyed about Acknowledgement and Welcome to Country, people get annoyed about NAIDOC Week.
“I feel like NAIDOC Week is about understanding and seeing the achievements of First Nations people and bringing awareness to those achievements, rather than stereotyping us. It’s a way to see the changes we have made and what we do. It’s powerful.”
Read the full interview and see the shoot with Savannah Fynn in Stellar today. For more from Stellar, click here.
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