Who performs Welcome to Country ceremony?
A Welcome to Country ceremony is performed by Aboriginal Traditional Owners for people visiting their Country. These ceremonies vary from speeches of welcome to traditional dance and smoking ceremonies.
What is involved in a Welcome to Country?
Welcome to Country occurs at the beginning of a formal event and can take many forms including singing, dancing, smoking ceremonies, and/or a speech.
What is Welcome to Country ceremony?
What is a Welcome to Country ceremony? A Welcome to Country is to officially welcome people to the land of the traditional custodians of that area. It also thanks the ancestors for allowing meetings or events to take place on that land.
How long is a Welcome to Country ceremony?
In simple terms it’s a ceremony that is conducted when one group is seeking to enter or meet with another group. The ceremony traditionally may have lasted for many days as discussions are held about the purpose of the visit and appropriate ceremonies are performed.
When did Welcome to Country begin?
In the summer of 1976, the television presenter and Yamatji man Ernie Dingo and the Noongar/Yamatji musician Richard Walley performed what they claim was Australia’s first contemporary welcome to country – a ceremonial act in which traditional owners welcome people to their land.
Why do we say Welcome to Country?
Having a Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country as a standard practice in events recognises the place of Indigenous people as the first custodians of this land, promotes awareness of the history and culture of Indigenous people and formally acknowledges Indigenous people’s ongoing connection to the land.
How do you introduce a welcome to your Country?
The words are: ‘I begin today by acknowledging the people, Traditional Custodians of the land on which we today, and pay my respects to their Elders past and present. I extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today. ‘
Is Welcome to Country tokenism?
Critics consider such ceremonies to be a form of tokenism, and claim that they do not reflect any element of traditional Aboriginal culture. Then leader of the Federal Opposition, Tony Abbott called it “a genuflection to political correctness” and that it “lacks heart”.
How do I book a welcome to the Country?
Requests for Welcomes to Country can be made through Metro’s office by completing a request form. Please note requests for Welcome to Country are in high demand and should be booked in advance. We require at least 14 days notice prior to your event to ensure that we have a representative available.
Did Ernie Dingo invent Welcome to Country?
The welcome to country first occurred in 1976, when entertainers Ernie Dingo and Richard Walley developed a ceremony to welcome a group of Māori artists who were participating in the Perth International Arts Festival.
Who started the Acknowledgement of Country?
One noteworthy welcome came in 1978 when Richard Walley and Ernie Dingo, then part of the Middar Aboriginal theatre company, were asked by a group of Polynesian performers to give them a Welcome to Country.