The Victorian Government supports Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country. Welcomes to Country have attracted criticism from conservative politicians, historians and commentators, some of whom suggest that such ceremonies are a form of tokenism and do not reflect traditional Aboriginal culture.
A Welcome to Country is a ceremony performed by a local Aboriginal person of significance (usually an Elder) to acknowledge and give consent to events taking place on their traditional lands. It is also a sign of respect and protocol which dates back to traditional times prior to colonisation.
For some Aboriginal people, Acknowledgement of Country is a constant reminder of the responsibilities of custodians to advocate for the protection of a fragile environment and its cultural heritage. It reminds us all Aboriginal languages were the first languages spoken in this country. Many are are still spoken.
Welcome to Country ceremonies, once viewed in light of the points discussed above, are not ultimately meant to entertain - even though they might provide cultural entertainment - but rather are intrinsically political acts. They are performative acts, not mere performances.
A Welcome to Country has been a significant part of Indigenous Custom and it is continued today as a sign of respect. A Welcome to Country makes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people feel included and comfortable and aims to create connection between non-Indigenous people and Country.
It can be performed by any person as a way to show respect for Aboriginal peoples, cultures and heritage and the relationship the ongoing custodians have with the land.
Welcome to Country
This is a tradition that has been practiced in Aboriginal culture for thousands of years. Australia is made up of many different tribes with different land areas. In the old days, tribes that wanted to pass through another tribe's country needed permission to do so and had to be welcomed through.
First Nations and First Peoples
Other pluralised terms such as 'First Nations' or 'First Peoples' are also acceptable language, and respectfully encompass the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and identities.
A Welcome to Country can therefore only be performed by an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person with ancestral ties to the place where the welcome takes place. It can take many forms including singing, dancing, smoking ceremonies or a speech in traditional language or English.
There is no specific wording for an Acknowledgement of Country, just be sincere and, if possible, do some research on the Country you are acknowledging. Suggested wording could include: I'd like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet today.
Today, a land acknowledgement remains a way of recognizing and expressing gratitude to the First Nations, Inuit, or Métis land that you are on. For settlers, the act of performing a land acknowledgement is a very basic and fundamental step towards reconciliation between Indigenous Peoples and settlers.
Why do we recognize the land? To recognize the land is an expression of gratitude and appreciation to those whose territory you reside on, and a way of honoring the Indigenous people who have been living and working on the land from time immemorial.
The Kulin Nation consists of the five language groups who are the traditional owners and lived in what is known as the Port Phillip region: Boonwurrung (Boon-wur-rung) Dja Dja Wurrung (Jar-Jar-Wur-rung) Taungurung (Tung-ger-rung) Wathaurung (Wath-er-rung)
Asked whether they felt welcome in Australia, 75 per cent said they did and 10 per cent said they did most of the time. Only 8 per cent said they felt unwelcome. Those from the Middle East were most likely to feel welcome.
Acknowledging when you're on the land of Traditional Owners is a sign of respect which acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ownership and custodianship of the land, their ancestors and traditions. Both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples can show this form of respect.
Anyone can and should perform an acknowledgement. Example - “I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet today, the (people) of the (nation). I would like to pay respect to elders past, present and emerging and any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people here today.”
Canberra is the host city for the Encounters exhibition. It is also country that has been home to Ngunnawal, Ngunawal and Ngambri peoples for more than 20,000 years. Some of their stone tools from Canberra's Mount Ainslie are now in the collection of the British Museum.
This term is considered outdated and highly offensive by many people across Australia. The expression is used, though, by Aboriginal and Torrest Strait Islander people amongst ourselves. However, many would find it offensive for a person who is not Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander to use this expression.
There is no one Aboriginal word that all Aborigines use for Australia; however, today they call Australia, ""Australia"" because that is what it is called today. There are more than 250 aboriginal tribes in Australia. Most of them didn't have a word for ""Australia""; they just named places around them.
both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, use terms such as 'First Nations people', 'First Australians' or 'Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples'.
In the summer of 1976, the television presenter and Yamatji man Ernie Dingo and the Noongar/Yamatji musician Richard Walley performed what they claim was Australia's first contemporary welcome to country – a ceremonial act in which traditional owners welcome people to their land.
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My research — which I'll present on Credlin on Sky News on Thursday tonight — has uncovered Welcome to Country ceremonies held at the openings of federal parliament for the past 15 years have cost on average between $5000 and $7500, although in at least one year that figure blew out to $10,500.