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{{Use Australian English|date=August 2012}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2012}}
[[File:Wiradjuri Elder, Aunty Isobel Reid, giving the Welcome to Country at the Centenary of the Kangaroo March launch.jpg|thumb|right|[[Wiradjuri]] Elder, Aunty Isobel Reid, giving the Welcome to Country.]]A '''Welcome to Country''' or '''Acknowledgement of Country''' is a ritual performed at many events held in [[Australia]], designed to recognise the cultural significance of the surrounding area to a particular [[Aboriginal Australians|Aboriginal]] clan. A Welcome to Country is performed by a clan representative; an acknowledgement can be performed by the event's [[master of ceremonies]] (though the terms are often used interchangeably).<ref>{{cite web|title=Call to scrap Parliament's welcome to country|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-11-24/call-to-scrap-parliaments-welcome-to-country/2348162|publisher=ABC News|accessdate=16 March 2013|date=24 November 2010}}</ref> Welcomes to Country are sometimes accompanied by traditional [[smoking ceremony|smoking ceremonies]], music and dance.
[[File:Welcome to Country SMC 2010.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Noongar]] people traditional burning of a [[Xanthorrhoea|grass tree]] during the Welcome to Country on the opening night of the 2010 [[Perth International Arts Festival]]]]
'''Welcome to Country''' and '''Acknowledgement of Country''' are [[Protocol (politics)|protocol]]s sometimes used in [[Australia]] at the opening of meetings, launches, special events and official functions. The practice shows respect for the traditional custodians of a particular region or area.<ref name=ACTGov /> The terms '''territorial''' or '''land acknowledgement''' are used elsewhere in the world to refer to the practice of making a statement recognising the traditional territory of an indigenous people prior to colonial settlement.<ref name="Shazad" />


Some jurisdictions, such as [[New South Wales]], make a welcome or acknowledgement mandatory at all government-run events, although such rules have proved controversial.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://arp.nsw.gov.au/c2004-39-recognising-aboriginal-cultural-protocols-and-practices|accessdate=2 August 2018|publisher=NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet|date=1 November 2004|title=C2004-39 Recognising Aboriginal Cultural Protocols and Practices}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-05-19/victoria-dumps-nod-to-traditional-owners/2719734|title=Victoria dumps nod to traditional owners|author=Doman, Mark|date= 29 June 2011|accessdate=2 August 2018}}</ref>
A Welcome to Country is where an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander custodian or elder from the local region welcomes people to their land. This may be done through speech, song, dance or ceremony. Some{{who|date=October 2013}} report that the Welcome to Country has been a part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander protocol for thousands of years.<ref name=ACTGov>{{cite web|title=Welcome to Country|url=http://www.dhcs.act.gov.au/atsia/welcome_to_country|publisher=Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs|accessdate=16 March 2013|date=20 March 2012}}</ref> Others, including [[Ernie Dingo]], say the Welcome to Country is a more recent convention. Ernie Dingo claims his Welcome to Country in 1976 was the first modern-day Welcome to Country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/aboriginal-australia/ernie-dingo-claims-the-first-welcome/story-e6frgd9f-1225841577128|title=Ernie Dingo claims the first welcome|work=[[The Australian]]|date=17 March 2010|accessdate=15 June 2012}}</ref> Whatever the origin of the tradition, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander protocols or customs in relation to Welcome to Country are diverse and will vary from region to region.<ref name=ACTGov />


== Welcome to Country ==
The Acknowledgement of Country is usually a statement or a [[speech (public address)|speech]] made by an Aboriginal or a non-Aboriginal to show respect to the traditional custodians of the land. The New South Wales Government has published a document with typical examples of the Acknowledgement of Country; one such example states: "I would like to acknowledge that this meeting is being held on Aboriginal land and recognise the strength, resilience and capacity of Aboriginal people in this land."<ref name=NSWGov />


The Welcome to Country dates from 1976, when entertainers [[Ernie Dingo]] and [[Richard Walley]] developed a ceremony to welcome a group of [[Māori people|Māori]] artists who were participating in the [[Perth International Arts Festival]]. The Welcome, extended on behalf of the [[Noongar]] people, was intended to mirror the visitors' own traditions, while incorporating elements of Aboriginal culture.<ref>{{cite news|title=Perth International Arts Festival gives welcome to west country|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/stage/perth-international-arts-festival-gives-welcome-to-west-country/news-story/18eda9115f366089fb6cc86e366ef36c|publisher=The Australian|accessdate=2 August 2018|author=Westwood, Matthew|date=15 February 2016}}</ref>
A Welcome to Country does not preclude an [[Acknowledgement of Country]]. Following a Welcome to Country by a local indigenous representative, additional speakers may provide an Acknowledgement of Country.


Arts administrator Rhoda Roberts credits the [[Aboriginal National Theatre Trust]] with developing the Welcome to Country during the 1980s.<ref name=lacksheart>{{cite web|title=Welcome to country ceremony 'lacks heart'|url=http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/welcome-to-country-ceremony-lacks-heart-20121014-27kv2.html|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|accessdate=16 March 2013|author=Taylor, Andrew|date=15 October 2012}}</ref>
Similar acknowledgements have become common at public events in [[Canada]] and have begun to be adopted by [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] and progressive groups in the [[United States]].<ref name="Shazad">{{cite news|last1=Shazad|first1=Ramna|title=What is the significance of acknowledging the Indigenous land we stand on?|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/territorial-acknowledgements-indigenous-1.4175136|accessdate=14 January 2018|work=CBC News|publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]|date=15 July 2017}}</ref><ref name="Marche_NYer">{{cite news|last1=Marche|first1=Stephen|title=Canada's Impossible Acknowledgement|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/canadas-impossible-acknowledgment|accessdate=14 January 2018|work=[[The New Yorker]]|date=September 7, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Evans|first1=Hannah Graf|title=We Begin with Acknowledgement|url=https://www.fcnl.org/updates/we-begin-with-acknowledgement-197|accessdate=14 January 2018|publisher=Friends Committee on National Legislation|date=October 15, 2015}}</ref>


Since 2008, a Welcome to Country has been incorporated into the ceremonial opening of the [[Parliament of Australia]], which occurs after each federal election. The Welcome includes a speech as well as traditional music and dance. Given that Parliament sits in [[Canberra]], traditionally part of [[Ngambri]] country, a Ngambri elder officiates.<ref>{{cite news|title=A historic first: traditional Indigenous welcome begins Parliament|url= http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2008/02/12/2160380.htm|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=2 August 2018|date=12 February 2008}}</ref>
== Welcome to Country in Parliament ==
In [[Parliament of Australia|Federal Parliament]], both houses start each day with the [[Lord's Prayer]] and the Welcome to Country.


Although Welcomes to Country have become commonplace across the country, they have attracted criticism from politicians, historians and commentators including [[Bess Price]], [[Tony Abbott]], [[Keith Windschuttle]] and [[Andrew Bolt]]. Critics consider such ceremonies to be a form of [[tokenism]], and note that they do not reflect any element of traditional Aboriginal culture. Price, a [[Warlpiri people|Warlpiri]] woman and former MP, characterises Welcomes as "not particularly meaningful to traditional people." Windschuttle calls them "an invented tradition" and Roberts considers them "part and parcel of being [[Political correctness|PC]]."<ref>{{cite web|title=Tony Abbott reopens culture wars over nods to Aborigines|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/politics/tony-abbott-reopens-culture-wars-over-nods-to-aborigines/story-e6frgczf-1225840660428|work=The Australian|accessdate=16 March 2013|author=Maiden, Samantha|date=15 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Welcomes to country are being foisted on us in error|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/opinion/welcomes-to-country-are-being-foisted-on-us-in-error/story-e6frgd0x-1226527719236|publisher=The Australian|accessdate=16 March 2013|author=Windschuttle, Keith|date=1 December 2012}}</ref><ref name=lacksheart />
The first Welcome to Country at an opening of Parliament was led by [[Matilda House (person)|Matilda House]] in February 2008.<ref name=Anationapologises />


=== Fees ===
Vowing that Welcome to Country would be a permanent feature of future parliamentary openings, Prime Minister [[Kevin Rudd]] told the nation:


Fees for delivering a Welcome to Country speech vary. In [[Sydney]], the [[Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council]] charges between $400 and $600 for the service.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://metrolalc.org.au/services-resources/welcome-to-country/|publisher=Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council|title=Welcome to Country|accessdate=2 August 2018}}</ref> [[Matilda House (activist)|Matilda House]] was paid $10,500 to perform a Welcome at the opening of the [[44th Parliament of Australia|44th Parliament]] in 2013.<ref name=quadrant>{{cite news|url=http://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2016/04/brand-new-timeless-traditions/|publisher=Quadrant|title=Brand new timeless traditions|author=Thomas, Tony|date=22 April 2016|accessdate=2 August 2018}}</ref>
<blockquote>It's taken 41 parliaments to get here. We can be a bit slow sometimes, but we got here. When it comes to Parliaments of the future, this will become part and parcel of the fabric of our celebration of Australia in all of its unity and all of its diversity.<ref name=Anationapologises>{{cite web|title=A national apologises|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/a-nation-apologises/2008/02/12/1202760301358.html|work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|accessdate=16 March 2013|author=Phillip Coorey and Stephanie Peatling|date=13 February 2008}}</ref></blockquote>


=== In Aboriginal culture ===
In November 2010, [[Victoria (Australia)|Victorian]] [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]] Senator [[Julian McGauran]] called for the Indigenous Welcome to Country statement to be dropped from the opening of Parliament each day, saying the Welcome to Country is not a prayer and should not be given equivalent status.<ref>{{cite web|title=Call to scrap Parliament's welcome to country|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-11-24/call-to-scrap-parliaments-welcome-to-country/2348162|publisher=ABC News|accessdate=16 March 2013|date=24 November 2010}}</ref> This was just a few months after Australia's first indigenous member of the House of Representatives, [[Ken Wyatt]] was honoured in a special Welcome to Country ceremony in the forecourt to Parliament House.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ken Wyatt welcomed to parliament in traditional ceremony|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/ken-wyatt-welcomed-to-parliament-in-traditional-ceremony/story-fn59niix-1225930724882|work=The Australian|accessdate=16 March 2013|author=Lauren Wilson|date=28 September 2010}}</ref>


Traditional Aboriginal culture was highly territorial, in part because their knowledge of how best to acquire food was specialised for their immediate region. Travellers risked violent reprisal for crossing a clan or tribal boundary without permission.<ref>{{cite book|title=The original Australians: story of the Aboriginal people|author=Flood, Josephine|date=2006|publisher=Allen and Unwin|page=194}}</ref> Although there is no record of a "Welcome to Country" ceremony in any traditional Aboriginal society, each group had mandatory protocols for seeking and granting permission to enter land.<ref name=quadrant />
==Fee for service for Welcome to Country==
Most Traditional Owner groups performing Welcome to Country will require payment of at least a nominal fee in return for their services.<ref>{{cite web|title=Protocols for Recognising Traditional Owners|url=http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/indigenous/about/reconciliation/protocols-for-recognising-traditional-owners|publisher=Victorian Department of Planning and Community Development|accessdate=16 March 2013|date=18 February 2013}}</ref> A [[New South Wales|NSW]] Government guideline states "In providing cultural services such as Welcome to Country, artistic performances and ceremonies Aboriginal people are using their intellectual property. As such providers of these services should be appropriately remunerated."<ref name=NSWGov>{{cite web|title=Aboriginal Cultural Protocols|url=http://www.dpc.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/781/Indigenous_Ceremony.pdf|publisher=NSW Government|accessdate=16 March 2013|pages=3}}</ref>


== Acknowledgement of Country ==
The [http://metrolalc.org.au/ Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council] charges between $385 and $450 for a Welcome to Country ceremony, with a 20 per cent surcharge for night and weekend bookings.<ref name=lacksheart /><ref>{{cite web|title=Welcome to Country Booking Request|url=http://metrolalc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/WTCRequestFormPricing.pdf|publisher=Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council|accessdate=16 March 2013}}</ref>


Acknowledgements of Country can be included in opening remarks where a Welcome to Country is not included in the event programme. The following form of words, published by the [[Government of Victoria|Victorian Government]] is typical:<ref>{{cite web|title=Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners|url=https://www.vic.gov.au/aboriginalvictoria/heritage/welcome-to-country-and-acknowledgement-of-traditional-owners.html|publisher=Victorian Government|accessdate=2 August 2018}}</ref>
== Criticism ==
In 2012, Northern Territory MP and traditional [[Warlpiri people|Warlpiri]] woman [[Bess Price]] told a reporter that Welcome to Country ceremonies were not meaningful to traditional people, saying "We don't do that in communities. It's just a recent thing. It's just people who are trying to grapple at something they believe should be traditional."<ref>{{cite web|title=Welcomes to country are being foisted on us in error|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/opinion/welcomes-to-country-are-being-foisted-on-us-in-error/story-e6frgd0x-1226527719236|publisher=The Australian|accessdate=16 March 2013|author=[[Keith Windschuttle]]|date=1 December 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Lemon-lipped new puritans could lighten up a little|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/lemon-lipped-new-puritans-could-lighten-up-a-little/story-e6frg7bo-1226516155992|work=The Australian|accessdate=17 March 2013|author=[[Janet Albrechtsen]]|date=14 November 2012}}</ref>


<blockquote>I acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land [or country] on which we are meeting. I pay my respects to their Elders, past and present, and the Elders from other communities who may be here today.</blockquote>
In 2010, former [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]] [[Tony Abbott]] said he thought that, in many contexts, the Welcome to Country seems like out-of-place tokenism.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tony Abbott reopens culture wars over nods to Aborigines|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/politics/tony-abbott-reopens-culture-wars-over-nods-to-aborigines/story-e6frgczf-1225840660428|work=The Australian|accessdate=16 March 2013|author=Samantha Maiden|date=15 March 2010}}</ref> In 2012, [[Rhoda Roberts]], a prominent indigenous Australian and head of [[Sydney Opera House]] indigenous programming, echoed Tony Abbott's criticisms.<ref name=lacksheart>{{cite web|title=Welcome to country ceremony 'lacks heart'|url=http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/welcome-to-country-ceremony-lacks-heart-20121014-27kv2.html|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|accessdate=16 March 2013|author=Andrew Taylor|date=15 October 2012}}</ref>


Similar acknowledgements have become common at public events in [[Canada]] and have begun to be adopted by [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] groups in the [[United States]].<ref name="Shazad">{{cite news|last1=Shazad|first1=Ramna|title=What is the significance of acknowledging the Indigenous land we stand on?|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/territorial-acknowledgements-indigenous-1.4175136|accessdate=14 January 2018|work=CBC News|publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]|date=15 July 2017}}</ref><ref name="Marche_NYer">{{cite news|last1=Marche|first1=Stephen|title=Canada's Impossible Acknowledgement|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/canadas-impossible-acknowledgment|accessdate=14 January 2018|work=[[The New Yorker]]|date=September 7, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Evans|first1=Hannah Graf|title=We Begin with Acknowledgement|url=https://www.fcnl.org/updates/we-begin-with-acknowledgement-197|accessdate=14 January 2018|publisher=Friends Committee on National Legislation|date=October 15, 2015}}</ref>
==Acknowledgment of Country==
[[File:Wiradjuri Elder, Aunty Isobel Reid, giving the Welcome to Country at the Centenary of the Kangaroo March launch.jpg|thumb|right|[[Wiradjuri]] Elder, Aunty Isobel Reid, giving the Welcome to Country.]] An Acknowledgment of Country by contrast is a way of showing awareness of and respect for the traditional owners of the land on which a meeting or event may be being held. <ref>[http://www.australiaday.org.au/event-organisers/australia_day_events_protocol/welcome-to-or-acknowledgment-of-country/ Welcome to or Acknowledgment of Country].</ref>

There is no formal wording but usually follows something like "I would like to acknowledge that this meeting is being held on the traditional lands of the (appropriate group) people, and pay my respect to elders both past and present."<ref>[https://www.unisa.edu.au/Documents/QA-welcome-to-country.pdf Welcome to and Acknowledgement of Country].</ref><ref>[http://mgnsw.org.au/sector/resources/online-resources/aboriginal/prepare-acknowledgment-country-statement/ Prepare an Acknowledgment of Country Statement], Museums & Galleries of NSW.</ref> Whatever the wording it usually makes reference to the traditional custodians and
the elders past and present of those traditional custodians.

Unlike the more formal Welcome to Country, the Acknowledgment of Country need not be (and usually is not) performed by an elder of the local [[Australian Aboriginal tribe|aboriginal tribe]], as it is more a respect paid to the traditional custodians. An Acknowledgment of Country is often used informally at the beginning of meetings including [[Australian Parliament]], education events or legal<ref>[https://www.lawsociety.com.au/cs/groups/public/documents/internetcontent/680910.pdf Protocol for Welcome to and Acknowledgement of Country], Law society of NSW. January 2013.</ref> and community meetings.<ref>[https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/media/downloads/dethome/yr2005/welcomecountry.pdf Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country].</ref>

== Similar ceremonies outside of Australia ==
Although not called as such, similar salutations may be exchanged in other ex-[[Settler colonialism|settler colonial]] countries with indigenous minorities, where they may be known as '''land acknowledgement''' or '''territorial acknowledgement'''. An example would be during the [[2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony]], when the [[Squamish Nation]], the [[Musqueam Indian Band]], the [[Lil'wat First Nation]], and the [[Tsleil-Waututh First Nation]] gave Olympic visitors an official welcome to their traditional territories ([[Vancouver, BC|Vancouver]] and [[Whistler, BC|Whistler]], British Columbia, Canada). In a few cases the Australian usage has been adopted [[Wikt:whole cloth|whole cloth]], as when engineer Gordon Howell prefaced his remarks to a 2010 conference on housing in [[Inuvik]] with an acknowledgement borrowed from Australian politician [[Mike Rann]].<ref>[http://www.nhf2010.ca/docs/POST%20FORUM%5C3%20-%20Costing%20Lessons%20and%20Strategies%5C3%20-%20Gordon%20Howell%5CEdmonton's%20NetZero%20Houses%20-%20What%20We've%20Learned.pdf Edmonton's NetZero Cold Climate Houses – Northern Housing Forum 2010], 24 March 2010</ref>

On 26 January 2013, [[Kathleen Wynne]]'s speech to the Ontario Liberal Party's leadership convention began with an acknowledgement of country for the [[Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation]].<ref>[http://www.netnewsledger.com/2013/01/26/kathleen-wynne-speech-to-liberal-convention-delegates/ "Kathleen Wynne – Speech to Liberal Convention Delegates"], 26 January 2013</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Australian Aboriginal Sovereignty]]
* [[Aboriginal title]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-05-19/victoria-dumps-nod-to-traditional-owners/2719734 "Victoria dumps nod to traditional owners"] by Mark Doman, [[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] (19 May 2011)
* [http://www.daretolead.edu.au/STORY_NSWWELCOMETOCOUNTRY Welcome to Country recommended in NSW public schools]
* [http://www.psychology.org.au/Assets/Files/Welcome-to-and-Acknolwedgement-of-Country.pdf Welcome to and Acknowledgement of Country: Reconciliation Australia Fact Sheet]


[[Category:Indigenous Australian politics]]
[[Category:Indigenous Australian politics]]

Revision as of 10:13, 2 August 2018

Wiradjuri Elder, Aunty Isobel Reid, giving the Welcome to Country.

A Welcome to Country or Acknowledgement of Country is a ritual performed at many events held in Australia, designed to recognise the cultural significance of the surrounding area to a particular Aboriginal clan. A Welcome to Country is performed by a clan representative; an acknowledgement can be performed by the event's master of ceremonies (though the terms are often used interchangeably).[1] Welcomes to Country are sometimes accompanied by traditional smoking ceremonies, music and dance.

Some jurisdictions, such as New South Wales, make a welcome or acknowledgement mandatory at all government-run events, although such rules have proved controversial.[2][3]

Welcome to Country

The Welcome to Country dates from 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. The Welcome, extended on behalf of the Noongar people, was intended to mirror the visitors' own traditions, while incorporating elements of Aboriginal culture.[4]

Arts administrator Rhoda Roberts credits the Aboriginal National Theatre Trust with developing the Welcome to Country during the 1980s.[5]

Since 2008, a Welcome to Country has been incorporated into the ceremonial opening of the Parliament of Australia, which occurs after each federal election. The Welcome includes a speech as well as traditional music and dance. Given that Parliament sits in Canberra, traditionally part of Ngambri country, a Ngambri elder officiates.[6]

Although Welcomes to Country have become commonplace across the country, they have attracted criticism from politicians, historians and commentators including Bess Price, Tony Abbott, Keith Windschuttle and Andrew Bolt. Critics consider such ceremonies to be a form of tokenism, and note that they do not reflect any element of traditional Aboriginal culture. Price, a Warlpiri woman and former MP, characterises Welcomes as "not particularly meaningful to traditional people." Windschuttle calls them "an invented tradition" and Roberts considers them "part and parcel of being PC."[7][8][5]

Fees

Fees for delivering a Welcome to Country speech vary. In Sydney, the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council charges between $400 and $600 for the service.[9] Matilda House was paid $10,500 to perform a Welcome at the opening of the 44th Parliament in 2013.[10]

In Aboriginal culture

Traditional Aboriginal culture was highly territorial, in part because their knowledge of how best to acquire food was specialised for their immediate region. Travellers risked violent reprisal for crossing a clan or tribal boundary without permission.[11] Although there is no record of a "Welcome to Country" ceremony in any traditional Aboriginal society, each group had mandatory protocols for seeking and granting permission to enter land.[10]

Acknowledgement of Country

Acknowledgements of Country can be included in opening remarks where a Welcome to Country is not included in the event programme. The following form of words, published by the Victorian Government is typical:[12]

I acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land [or country] on which we are meeting. I pay my respects to their Elders, past and present, and the Elders from other communities who may be here today.

Similar acknowledgements have become common at public events in Canada and have begun to be adopted by Native American groups in the United States.[13][14][15]

References

  1. ^ "Call to scrap Parliament's welcome to country". ABC News. 24 November 2010. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  2. ^ "C2004-39 Recognising Aboriginal Cultural Protocols and Practices". NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet. 1 November 2004. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  3. ^ Doman, Mark (29 June 2011). "Victoria dumps nod to traditional owners". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  4. ^ Westwood, Matthew (15 February 2016). "Perth International Arts Festival gives welcome to west country". The Australian. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  5. ^ a b Taylor, Andrew (15 October 2012). "Welcome to country ceremony 'lacks heart'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  6. ^ "A historic first: traditional Indigenous welcome begins Parliament". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 12 February 2008. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  7. ^ Maiden, Samantha (15 March 2010). "Tony Abbott reopens culture wars over nods to Aborigines". The Australian. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  8. ^ Windschuttle, Keith (1 December 2012). "Welcomes to country are being foisted on us in error". The Australian. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  9. ^ "Welcome to Country". Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  10. ^ a b Thomas, Tony (22 April 2016). "Brand new timeless traditions". Quadrant. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  11. ^ Flood, Josephine (2006). The original Australians: story of the Aboriginal people. Allen and Unwin. p. 194.
  12. ^ "Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners". Victorian Government. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  13. ^ Shazad, Ramna (15 July 2017). "What is the significance of acknowledging the Indigenous land we stand on?". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  14. ^ Marche, Stephen (7 September 2017). "Canada's Impossible Acknowledgement". The New Yorker. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  15. ^ Evans, Hannah Graf (15 October 2015). "We Begin with Acknowledgement". Friends Committee on National Legislation. Retrieved 14 January 2018.