Latest news with #RichardWalley
The Age
27-04-2025
- Politics
- The Age
‘Stop welcoming me to my own country'? You're missing the point
This year on ANZAC Day, at ceremonies across the country and replayed over and over in the news, we heard something that came as a surprise to some Australians, but something that I hear all too often: 'Stop welcoming me to my own country.' It is a familiar objection, and one that reveals a deep misunderstanding of what a Welcome to Country actually is. It is not a welcome to 'Australia'. It is not a civic greeting, nor a polite formality acknowledging the Australian nation-state. It is something far older, far deeper, and as culturally significant as ANZAC Day ceremonies themselves. Welcome to Country is a sovereign Aboriginal protocol, grounded in the laws, customs, and practices of First Nations that have existed on this continent for tens of thousands of years. When Aboriginal people speak about 'Country', we are not referring to Australia, the nation defined by its colonial borders. We are speaking of places, lands, waters, skies, and beings, held together in intricate relatedness, through ancestral connection, custodianship, and deep responsibility. Country is not just geography. It is connection. It is family, our history, and our stories. Every Aboriginal Nation across this continent belongs to their own Country, maintaining relationships that guide how we relate to each other and to the lands we move across. When a Welcome to Country is performed, it is about recognising that wherever you stand on this vast continent, you are on someone's sovereign, unceded land. It is a practice that predates ANZAC Day, the Constitution, Australian citizenship, and both World Wars. Whether you were born here or arrived recently, when you are welcomed to Country you are reminded that there is a nation of Aboriginal people upon whose lands you stand, whose cultures are very much alive. Our cultures are far from lost relics; they are vibrant, strong, and continuing. A Welcome to Country is about acknowledging that. It is not about nationalism or patriotism – it is about respect and relationships. Loading To mock or reject a Welcome to Country is to deny the enduring sovereignty of Aboriginal peoples and the profound connection we hold to our Country. It is to misunderstand what is being offered: a generous gesture of cultural welcoming. While Welcome to Country ceremonies were formalised into the public sphere over 40 years ago by Noongar elder Richard Walley and prominent Aboriginal personality Ernie Dingo, their roots stretch back through millennia. As fellow Wiradjuri woman and politician Linda Burney has said, this protocol became part of civic life because it speaks to the truth of Australia's story.
Sydney Morning Herald
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Stop welcoming me to my own country'? You're missing the point
This year on ANZAC Day, at ceremonies across the country and replayed over and over in the news, we heard something that came as a surprise to some Australians, but something that I hear all too often: 'Stop welcoming me to my own country.' It is a familiar objection, and one that reveals a deep misunderstanding of what a Welcome to Country actually is. It is not a welcome to 'Australia'. It is not a civic greeting, nor a polite formality acknowledging the Australian nation-state. It is something far older, far deeper, and as culturally significant as ANZAC Day ceremonies themselves. Welcome to Country is a sovereign Aboriginal protocol, grounded in the laws, customs, and practices of First Nations that have existed on this continent for tens of thousands of years. When Aboriginal people speak about 'Country', we are not referring to Australia, the nation defined by its colonial borders. We are speaking of places, lands, waters, skies, and beings, held together in intricate relatedness, through ancestral connection, custodianship, and deep responsibility. Country is not just geography. It is connection. It is family, our history, and our stories. Every Aboriginal Nation across this continent belongs to their own Country, maintaining relationships that guide how we relate to each other and to the lands we move across. When a Welcome to Country is performed, it is about recognising that wherever you stand on this vast continent, you are on someone's sovereign, unceded land. It is a practice that predates ANZAC Day, the Constitution, Australian citizenship, and both World Wars. Whether you were born here or arrived recently, when you are welcomed to Country you are reminded that there is a nation of Aboriginal people upon whose lands you stand, whose cultures are very much alive. Our cultures are far from lost relics; they are vibrant, strong, and continuing. A Welcome to Country is about acknowledging that. It is not about nationalism or patriotism – it is about respect and relationships. Loading To mock or reject a Welcome to Country is to deny the enduring sovereignty of Aboriginal peoples and the profound connection we hold to our Country. It is to misunderstand what is being offered: a generous gesture of cultural welcoming. While Welcome to Country ceremonies were formalised into the public sphere over 40 years ago by Noongar elder Richard Walley and prominent Aboriginal personality Ernie Dingo, their roots stretch back through millennia. As fellow Wiradjuri woman and politician Linda Burney has said, this protocol became part of civic life because it speaks to the truth of Australia's story.
