Welcome to Country &
Acknowledgement of Country

If you participated in an activity that involved Aboriginal people you might have experienced a Welcome to Country or Acknowledgement of Country.

Both are protocols that precede the activity. They recognise the unique position of Aboriginal people in Australian culture and history and show respect for Aboriginal people.

If you are planning to include a 'Welcome to Country' or do an 'Acknowledgement of Country' make sure to consult with Aboriginal people of the community where the event takes place. This way you ensure that the ceremony pays the appropriate level of recognition and involves the right people.

Welcome to Country

A 'Welcome to Country' is a small ceremony where traditional owners, usually elders, welcome people to their land. This is a significant recognition and is made through a formal process, although it's up to the elder how they decide to carry out the ceremony. It also depends on the location of the event and the practice of the Aboriginal community which can vary greatly according to region.

During a 'Welcome to Country' the elders welcome those in attendance, guests, staff and students to their country. It might be just a simple speech or a performance of some sort, like a song, traditional dance, a didgeridoo piece or any combination of these.

'Welcome to Country' should always occur in the opening of the event in question, preferable as the first item. Note that a 'Welcome to Country' is often considered a right and not a privilege.

Welcomes [to country]… are what traditional owners give—if they so desire. There should be no expectation or demand for this to be the case.—Koori Mail [4]

Welcome to Country from an Aboriginal perspective

Bev Manton, chairperson of the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC), describes a Welcome to Country from her perspective [6].

"A Welcome to Country is about Aboriginal people acknowledging the past, and looking to the future. It is often delivered by an Aboriginal person who has themselves been the victim of government policies.

Our Elders do the Welcome to Country as an act of generosity. These are the same people who have had their children taken away, or been removed themselves. They're the same people who had their wages stolen by successive governments. They're the same people who had ancestors remains raided by grave robbers. They're the same people who were disposed from their lands and forced on to missions and reserves.

And yet despite all of these terrible events—despite the horrendous treatment by so many parliaments—these very same people are still prepared to say 'welcome' to the very people who in some cases have presided over the oppression."

I have come to learn that the Welcome to Country ceremony is such an important aspect of Indigenous Australia… They're unique and special and, in essence, a respectful gesture from the traditional peoples to all people, visitors and friends. —Matiu Paki, a Maori from the North Island of New Zealand [7]

Acknowledgement of Country

An 'Acknowledgement of Country' is a way that all people can show respect for Aboriginal culture and heritage and the ongoing relationship the traditional owners have with their land [1].

Both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people can perform 'Acknowledgement of Country'. It is a demonstration of respect dedicated to the traditional custodians of the land (or sea) where the event, meeting, school function or conference takes place.

Sample Acknowledgement of Country where the language group is not known [1]:

I would like to show my respect and acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land,
of elders past and present, on which this event takes place.

Sample Acknowledgement of Country using a specific nation [1]:

I would like to acknowledge the Dharug people who are the traditional custodians of this land.
I would also like to pay respect to the elders past and present of the Dharug nation 
and extend that respect to other Aboriginal people present.

Government, organisations and even small groups are adopting the practice of acknowledging the traditional owners.

For more information contact the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group Inc.

Acknowledgements of country and traditional owners are something that decent non-Indigenous people give, not because they feel pushed into it but because they believe it is the right thing to do. the case.—Koori Mail [4]

'Acknowledgement of Country' by Jonathan Hill

Today we stand in footsteps millennia old.
May we acknowledge the traditional owners
whose cultures and customs have nurtured,
and continue to nurture, this land, 
since men and women
awoke from the great dream.
We honour the presence of these ancestors
who reside in the imagination of this land
and whose irrepressible spirituality
flows through all creation.

Source [2]. Jonathan Hill is an Aboriginal poet living in New South Wales.

Criticism

Some politicians have voiced concern that the 'Acknowledgement of Country' was an "empty" gesture of political correctness and looked "like tokenism" if it was performed too often [3].

Government policies which force departments to do 'Acknowledgement of Country' and have 'Welcome to Country' ceremonies performed undermine the genuine gesture and make it "feel false", argues Sue Gordon, a retired West Australian magistrate [3].

The Aboriginal community did not share these views.

David Ross, director of the Central Land Council, feels that one should not ignore the "existence and ownership of this land by Aboriginal people before European settlement" and acknowledge the black history with the ritual. Opposing 'Welcome to Country' ceremonies would encourage racist elements within the community.

"Our own view is that welcomes to and acknowledgements of country—if conducted in a meaningful , genuine and thoughtful way—are the least we should be able to expect from our visitors to our land," say the editors of the Koori Mail [4].

I think it's fantastic [to do Acknowledgement of Country ceremonies], ten years ago we weren't even acknowledged. —Warren Mundine, Indigenous business leader [3]

[Acknowledgement of Country] says to the world, and more importantly to ourselves, that we accept the fact we are in a place that has a history and story far beyond 220 years. It says to our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fellow Australians that we are all in the future journey of our country together. —Richard Wynne, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Victoria [5]

Further resources

Reconciliation Australia has put together a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) section on Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country ceremonies.

Out of respect for Aboriginal culture I use Indigenous sources as much as possible.
[1] 'Welcome to Country & Acknowledgement of Country', NSW Dept of Education and Training brochure, 5/2004 [2] 'Acknowledgement of Country', reader's letter, Koori Mail 469 p.23 [3] 'Tokenism comments draw angry response', Koori Mail 472 p.5 [4] 'Not welcome here, Wilson', Koori Mail 472 p.20 [5] Your Say, Koori Mail 472 p.23 [6] 'Attack is far from welcome', Koori Mail 472 p.27 [7] 'Maori support', Your Say, Koori Mail 477 p.23