Acknowledgement of Country and Welcome to Country
Source: https://www.indigenous.unsw.edu.au/micro-treaty/resources/acknowledgement-country-and-welcome-country Parent: https://www.indigenous.unsw.edu.au/
Welcome to Country
A Welcome to Country is different to an Acknowledgement of Country. 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. This distinctive difference has important cultural significance for Aboriginal peoples and should be observed carefully.
Negotiating a Welcome to Country
Negotiating a Welcome to Country may take longer than anticipated. It is therefore important that the appropriate Aboriginal representative organisation has been contacted by telephone well in advance of the event. This should be followed up with a formal letter of invitation. All arrangements thereafter for a Welcome to Country should be mutually negotiated between the Local Aboriginal Land Council (or relevant Aboriginal Incorporated organisation), the Elder who has been selected to carry out the welcome, and the University.
It is also important that Aboriginal representatives involved in the negotiations are comfortable with the suggested arrangements. This may include a negotiation of the format of the ceremony, who has been invited and what type of ‘Welcome to Country’ is to be held. It is vitally important that the Elder performing the Welcome to Country ceremony is introduced and acknowledged in a culturally appropriate manner, and that they are recognised for their time and commitment. Performing a Welcome to Country or engaging Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander dancers is not a free service and prices can vary depending on the type of welcome required.
Can I film a Welcome to Country, and play it at each event and pay a fee for service for each repeated WTC?
No. Read more about this topic here.
How do I organise a WTC?
If you would like to organise a Welcome to Country ceremony you should contact the Land Council relevant to the event location:
- UNSW Kensington Main Campus you should contact the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council (02) 9311 4282. Scroll to the Welcome to Country section on Our Services page;
- UNSW City and Art and Design Campus you should contact the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council (02) 8394 9666. See Welcome to Country Booking Form; and
- UNSW Canberra at ADFA you should contact the Ngunnawal Local Aboriginal Land Council (02) 6297 4152
If you are planning on having a Welcome to County at any of UNSW’s Clinical Schools, then you should make contact with the following Land Councils:
- Albury Wodonga - Albury Local Aboriginal Land Council (02) 6025 7075
- Coffs Harbour - Coffs Harbour Local Aboriginal Land Council (02) 6652 8740
- Port Macquarie - Birpai Local Aboriginal Land Council (02) 6584 9066
- Wagga Wagga - Wagga Local Aboriginal Land Council (02) 6921 4095
Download Protocols for Acknowledgement to Country and Welcome to Country\ \
Relevant reading
Why you should avoid making a Welcome to Country video
Producing reusable 'set-and-forget' videos can diminish and minimise the cultural and political importance of a Welcome to Country, says Professor Megan Davis.
Reconciliation and the promise of an Australian homecoming
The Monthly | Prof Megan Davis
In a powerful essay, Prof Davis asks what would make an Acknowledgement of Country more welcome.
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