“Being welcomed to Country means that you are talking to your spiritual ancestors and you’re saying ‘Just let this person come through. We trust that they’re not going to do any harm on this Country so do not harm them’.”
Only the Traditional Custodians of a particular area can perform a Welcome to CountryA Welcome to Country can be delivered as a speech, dance or smoking ceremony at the commencement of an event. The welcoming ritual is performed by the Traditional Custodians of the land on which the event takes place.Welcome to Country is about ensuring spiritual safety, says Jude Barlow, a Ngunnawal Elder from the Canberra region.
“It’s the energy that I feel when I’m on Country. When I’m not here there’s something missing from my life. It’s also a connection with my ancestors because Aboriginal people have oral history, and Country contains those stories.”The Welcome is only performed by the Traditional Custodians of the land you are meeting on.Often the Custodians have been formally recognised as a Traditional Owner group for a specific area, says Paul Paton.
Government organisations and local councils can often connect you with the Traditional Owners. Contacting your local Aboriginal Land Council or Aboriginal health organisation may also point you in the right direction.Is an ‘Acknowledgement of Country’ different?
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