Welcome to Country facts for kids
A Welcome to Country is a special ceremony or greeting. It happens at many events in Australia. It helps everyone remember that Indigenous Australians are the original people of the land. This welcome shows respect for the traditional owners of the area. It must be given by a recognised elder from that specific group. Sometimes, these welcomes include traditional smoking ceremonies, music, or dance.
If an elder is not available, or if there isn't a known traditional owner for the area, people can give an Acknowledgement of Country instead. This is usually done by the event host. The word "Country" means a lot to many Aboriginal peoples. It's not just land. It includes their culture, spirituality, language, laws, family ties, and identity. Welcoming people from other areas has been a long tradition among Aboriginal groups. Today, it also helps recognise the presence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples before Australia was colonised. It helps bring about reconciliation with Australia's First Nations.
Since 2008, a Welcome to Country has been part of the opening ceremony for the Parliament of Australia. This happens after every federal election.
Contents
Understanding "Country"
What "Country" Means to Indigenous Australians
For Aboriginal people, "Country" is much more than just land or water. It's a deep connection that touches every part of their lives. This includes their culture, spiritual beliefs, language, laws, family relationships, and who they are. Aboriginal people didn't own land like property in the past. Instead, their relationship with an area of land gives them a strong sense of "identity, purpose, and belonging." It's a relationship based on respect and giving back.
"Country" includes all living things: people, plants, and animals. It also includes the seasons, important stories, and creation spirits. The connection between a people and their "Country" can go back thousands of years. This relationship is kept strong through cultural knowledge and the environment itself. Being disconnected from their land can affect their health and happiness. Phrases like "caring for country" or "living on country" show how important this connection is. It's also linked to land rights and native title.
How Welcomes and Acknowledgements Started
Ancient Traditions and Modern Beginnings
Welcomes to Country are a form of Aboriginal ceremony that are thousands of years old. They were used to welcome people from other areas and to share cultures. For example, the Yolngu people welcomed Dutch explorers in the 1600s. They also welcomed Makassan traders from the 1700s. These welcomes help newcomers feel comfortable and connected. They can also help build important relationships for the future.
The first public Welcome to Country in modern Australia happened in 1973. It was at the Aquarius Festival in Nimbin, New South Wales. This festival was like Australia's "Woodstock". Indigenous activist Gary Foley asked the festival organisers to get permission from the traditional owners of the land. Many Indigenous Australians attended the festival. A ceremony was performed by Uncle Lyle Roberts and Uncle Dickee Donnelly.
The second recorded Welcome to Country happened in 1976. Entertainers Ernie Dingo and Richard Walley created a ceremony. They welcomed a group of Māori artists to the Perth International Arts Festival. This welcome, from the Noongar people, was designed to be similar to the Māori visitors' own traditions. It also included parts of Aboriginal culture. Richard Walley said he asked the spirits of his ancestors and the land to watch over their guests. He also spoke to the spirits of the Māori ancestors, promising to look after their people.
Growing Recognition and Reconciliation
Arts leader Rhoda Roberts says that the Aboriginal National Theatre Trust helped develop both Welcomes and Acknowledgements in the 1980s.
Acknowledgements of Country are newer. They became more common in the 1990s. This was linked to the reconciliation movement. It was also linked to the creation of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation. This happened after the Mabo case. In this case, the idea of terra nullius (meaning "nobody's land") was overturned. Native title was then recognised in Australia.
According to Tiriki Onus, an Acknowledgement of Country grew from "grassroots communities" who cared about reconciliation. Wiradjuri woman Linda Burney said there wasn't a formal plan to make Acknowledgements common. They just grew naturally and became accepted. They are seen as a good way to connect people with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. The wider Australian community feels it's important to have a good relationship with Australia's Indigenous peoples.
Since then, Welcomes and Acknowledgements are used at meetings and events all over Australia. This includes government, universities, community groups, and arts organisations. In 2008, a Welcome to Country became a regular part of the opening of the Parliament of Australia. This happens after every federal election. An elder from the Ngambri people, whose country Canberra is part of, leads the ceremony.
Why Welcomes and Acknowledgements Are Important
Indigenous Australians were largely left out of Australian history books. They were also excluded from the democratic process for the first two centuries of white settlement. This was after the colonisation of Australia began in 1788. Including Indigenous peoples in events, meetings, and national symbols helps fix the harm caused by this exclusion. Using Welcome or Acknowledgement protocols in official events "recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians." It also shows respect for the traditional owners of the land.
How Welcomes and Acknowledgements Work
Both Welcomes and Acknowledgements recognise the ongoing connection of Aboriginal traditional owners to their country. They show proper respect as part of the process of reconciliation and healing. As they become more common, people are trying to keep the words fresh and meaningful. They can also inform and educate people.
Welcome to Country Details
The Victorian Government suggests Welcomes for big public events and functions. These are in places where traditional owners have been officially recognised. A Welcome to Country can only be done by an elder or a formally recognised traditional owner. They welcome visitors to their traditional country. The welcome can be different each time. It might include a speech, a traditional dance, or a smoking ceremony.
Acknowledgement of Country Details
If a local elder isn't available, or if the traditional owners haven't been officially recognised for the area, an Acknowledgement of Country is used. The host of the event performs this. If there's no official recognition of traditional ownership, it's best to acknowledge "Traditional Owners" generally. Don't name specific groups if you're not sure.
Here's an example of what someone might say for recognised traditional owners:
Our meeting/conference/workshop is being held on the lands of the [Traditional Owner's name] people and I wish to acknowledge them as Traditional Owners.
I would also like to pay my respects to their Elders, past and present, and Aboriginal Elders of other communities who may be here today.
And for unknown traditional owners:
I acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land [or country] on which we are meeting. I pay my respects to their Elders, past and present, and the Elders from other communities who may be here today.
The City of Adelaide uses specific words for the local Kaurna people:
City of Adelaide acknowledges that we are meeting on the traditional country of the Kaurna people of the Adelaide Plains and pays respect to Elders past and present.
We recognise and respect their cultural heritage, beliefs and relationship with the land. We acknowledge that they are of continuing importance to the Kaurna people living today. And we also extend that respect to other Aboriginal Language Groups and other First Nations.
Similar acknowledgements, like land acknowledgements, are also common in Canada. They are starting to be used by Native American groups in the United States too.
Thoughts and Discussions
Different Views on Welcomes and Acknowledgements
Some places, like New South Wales, make a Welcome (or Acknowledgement) required at all government events.
As Welcomes to Country have become more frequent, some people have criticised them. These critics include politicians and writers. They sometimes say these ceremonies are just "tokenism." This means they are done just for show, without real meaning. They also claim that these ceremonies don't truly reflect traditional Aboriginal culture. For example, former Prime Minister Tony Abbott called it "political correctness." Warlpiri woman and former politician Bess Price said Welcomes were "not particularly meaningful to traditional people."
Despite these criticisms, many people believe Welcomes and Acknowledgements are important steps towards reconciliation. They help to recognise and respect the First Peoples of Australia.
In Popular Culture
The Australian band Midnight Oil released a song in 2020 called "Gadigal Land". The lyrics of the song play on the traditional Welcome to Country. It starts with "Welcome to Gadigal land." Then it talks about things like smallpox and alcohol. These were brought to Australia by the colonisers. The song encourages reconciliation.
See also
In Spanish: Bienvenida al País para niños
