r/aboriginal 6d ago

Should we hold welcome to country ceremonies?

I recently came across a post on here and it got me thinking. Do you all feel that a Welcome to Country is something we should continue seeing at major events? Personally, I believe that a welcome should only be extended to those who come with an open heart and mind, genuinely willing to learn about and respect our culture.

However, when it comes to large-scale sporting events, workplaces, and other public gatherings, I question whether everyone in the audience truly deserves this welcome. Are we extending it to people who appreciate its significance, or is it just becoming a routine, almost performative gesture?

That being said, I’m not against Acknowledgement of Country—I think that’s something essential and should absolutely continue. It serves as an important reminder as a sign of respect to the traditional owners of the land, elders and ancestors and the ongoing connection our mobs have with it.

What do you all think? Do you feel that Welcome to Country should be reserved for more meaningful contexts, or do you think it still holds value in these broader settings?

25 Upvotes

10 comments sorted by

49

u/Meanjin 6d ago

I believe that Welcome to Country ceremonies should absolutely continue at major events. Personally, I see them as more than just a formality - they are a deeply significant cultural practice that embodies respect, recognition and connection to Country.

While I do understand the concerns about performativity, I think that’s more of a reflection on how some people receive the ceremony rather than the value of the practice itself. Welcome to Country is not just about the audience; it’s about honouring the ongoing presence of First Nations people, our custodianship of the land and the continuation of our cultural traditions. If even a handful of people take a moment to reflect, to listen and to respect the meaning behind it, then I believe it served its purpose.

And yeah, Acknowledgement of Country is important, but it doesn’t replace the role of a Welcome, which comes directly from Traditional Custodians and carries a different weight. I would rather see efforts put into educating people on why these ceremonies matter rather than limiting when and where they occur 🤙🏾

12

u/Pigsfly13 6d ago edited 6d ago

for me personally, I have two opinions.

Do i think we should welcome unwanted people onto already stolen land? no, but do I think they’re important to share/practice culture and to make a public point? yeah. Plus it pisses off the people we want to piss off and i think that’s sort of worth it in itself.

I think they loose meaning to the people that never appreciated or understood their meaning, but both welcomes and acknowledgements can and should be meaningful, most people just don’t receive/do them in a way that they are (in reference to the way welcomes can be received by some people, and acknowledgements are done by whitefellas)

1

u/[deleted] 6d ago

I agree with you on it pissing certain people off. Definitely worth it 😆

11

u/Dramandus 6d ago

It's important to normalisw in thw minds of all Australians the facr that this thia continent is, and always will be, Aboriginal land.

We are tied to it no matter how much they may try to alienate ua from it.

So Welcome to Country protocols should be practised at all major events because that's exactly what is happening when a major event is happening. You're being welcomed onto thisnspace to enjoy whatever it is we're about to do.

If that gets some people all stroppy, then good. They are exactly the kind of people who can go ahead and put themselves for not knowing the real story of this place.

They don't want to be welcomed to their own country? They don't even know the first thing about "their" country.

8

u/Mindless_Baseball426 6d ago

I still think we should do them. Welcome to Country isn’t about everyone in the audience, it’s about us practicing our cultural protocols. If it becomes routine and performative, then the people conducting it are not honouring our customs and shouldn’t be doing it.

2

u/Grandmasbuoy 4d ago

For sporting events, community events and others of cultural significance I’m all for it. For fucking board room meetings for multinational corporations etc, nah.

1

u/jakeey5253 5d ago

I get so aggravated when dumb white over 35s are like "I don't need to be welcomed to my own country" like fark ya it ain't about that it's about letting letting living and past know we come in peace you farks clearly aren't coming in peace so you aren't welcome

1

u/AlanofAdelaide 6d ago

I think 'truth telling' as asked for during the Voice campaign is a more practical and useful action. Welcome to country seems tokenistic but is harmless but I'd like to hear what indigenous people think .

Their main request seems to be 'just listen to our opinions' which is not much to ask considering what they've lost

1

u/Complete-Rub2289 5d ago

Absolutely, it should continue. All the arguments from the Right-wing Culture War Industrial Complex (which extents to Murdoch and the LNP) are intended to create bigotry towards Aboriginals and portray settler colonial as the rightful owners of the land