Jacinta Price calls on Australia to abolish ‘divisive’ Welcome to Country recognitions for sporting events and public gatherings

Jacinta Price has called for Welcome to Country recognitions to be received before sporting competitions and other events are scrapped, arguing tradition sends a message to non-Indigenous Australians that ‘this isn’t your country’.

The spokeswoman for the Opposition Indigenous Australians echoed former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who said he “got a little sick” of the practice.

“There’s no problem acknowledging our history, but rolling out these performances before any sporting event or public gathering is certainly divisive,” Ms Price said. The Australian.

The senator, who has Aboriginal Walpiri and European heritage, is one of the leading leaders of the opposition to the proposed Indigenous vote in parliament.

“Australians don’t have to welcome in their own country,” she said.

“It’s not welcoming, it’s telling non-Indigenous Australians ‘this isn’t your country’ and that’s wrong. We are all Australians and we share this great country.’

Ms Price’s intervention followed days of attacks on the practice of past and current Conservative politicians.

Mr Abbott, who was appointed as Special Envoy for Indigenous Affairs by then Prime Minister Scott Morrison in 2018, said Australia ‘belongs to all of us, not just some of us’.

He also expressed his disgust at how often the Aboriginal flag is used, saying that he was “getting a little tired of seeing some of us’s flag flying in sync with all of us’s flag…

“And I just think the longer this goes on, the more divisive and the harder and the more dangerous it gets right now.”

Opposition leader Peter Dutton said that while he thought Welcome to Country was a ‘respectful way of acknowledging our country’s Indigenous heritage’, it is overused, and often as an exercise in signaling virtues.

“I get the point that when you go to an event and there’s an MC who I think can give recognition in the right way, you get the next five or 10 speakers who each do their own gig for the country,” he told radio station 2GB in Sydney. .

And frankly, I think it detracts from the meaning of the statement being made.

“I think there are a lot of companies that just do it because they think it’s what people want to hear.”

One of the places where the acknowledgment of the country is most often heard is in the federal parliament, where it is made every sitting day alongside the Lord’s Prayer in both chambers.

Nationals leader David Littleproud said Sunday that the Welcome to Country speeches and ceremonies were “just over the top.”

“I think unfortunately what happened – it’s not just sporting events – you can go to a meeting and give everyone an acknowledgment,” he said.

“I think it’s gone overboard. It’s gone too far. Is it necessary? I think it’s a reasonable question to ask.’

Mrs Price is not the only Aboriginal woman to object to the Welcome to Country practice.

Aunt Narelle McRobbie spoke about it in a video question on ABC’s Q+A show last Monday night, broadcast from the Garma Festival in the Northern Territory.

“I’m an Indigenous Aboriginal woman and I hate the Welcome to Country,” she said.

“As a tribal person, why? Welcome every other b*****d to the land as I, as an Aboriginal person, have never felt welcome on my property.

“On my own dirt, never felt welcome. Welcome everyone to continue taking, taking, taking, taking,” she said.

It wasn’t the first time Ms. Price had busted out at Welcome to Country ceremonies, either.

Indigenous Australians Opposition spokeswoman echoed former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who said he was ‘getting a little sick’ of the Welcome to Country practice (pictured)

In her first speech to parliament in July 2022 she said, ‘Across Australia, the reinvention of culture has brought us Welcome to Country or recognition of the country.

“A standard ritual practice for events, meetings, and social gatherings by governments, corporations, institutions, elementary schools, kindergartens, high schools, universities, workplaces, music festivals, gallery openings, conferences, airline broadcasts, and so on and so forth.

“Personally, I’m more than tired of being recognized symbolically,” she said.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Senator Price for further comment.

WHAT IS WELCOME TO COUNTRY?

A Welcome to Country can only be delivered by Traditional owners or custodians of the land on which the event takes place.

It is usually performed by a local Aboriginal Elder to acknowledge and authorize events taking place on their traditional land.

It’s also a sign of respect and protocol, but o.oorganizing a Welcome to Country can take weeks, involving different Indigenous groups.

If a traditional owner is not available to do a Welcome to Country, an Acknowledgment of Country can be delivered instead.

Aunt Joy performs Welcome to Country before the Women’s World Cup match between Colombia and Jamaica at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium on August 8, 2023

A land recognition is a way of showing awareness and respect for traditional custodians of the land where a gathering or event is taking place.

Its aim is to recognize Aboriginal people’s continued connection to the land, and can be provided by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

There are three types of country recognition:

General – this should be used if you don’t know the name of the people whose land you are gathered on, or if there are disputes over the land (several Aboriginal peoples identify as traditional custodians for that area). The words are:

“I begin today by honoring the traditional custodians of the land we stand on today, and pay my respects to their elders past and present. I pay that respect to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.”

Specifically – this should be used if there are no disputes and you know the name of the people on whose land you are gathered. The words are:

“I begin today by acknowledging the people, traditional custodians of the land we are on today, and pay my respects to their elders past and present. I pay that respect to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.”

General (to be used throughout Australia or in a webinar, on a website or in print) – The words are:

‘In the spirit of reconciliation, the (organization) recognizes the traditional custodians of the land across Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and pay that respect today to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”