Ceremonies and protocols are an important part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander culture.
By incorporating them into official events we can recognise and pay respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, culture and heritage and demonstrate recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s unique position in Australian society.1
It is important to remember that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural protocols differ between communities and regions, and you should not rely on your Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employees to be responsible for ensuring protocols are met. For example, do not expect that your Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employees will perform an Acknowledgment of Country at every meeting or that they will have the authority to perform a Welcome to Country. If unsure whether you are following protocols it is recommended to check in with an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person or organisation for advice.
An Acknowledgement of Country, also known as Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners, can be done by anyone and is a way of showing awareness of, and respect for, the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Traditional Owners of the land on which a meeting or event is being held. For a non-Aboriginal person, non-Torres Strait Islander person or an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person who is not a descendant of that tribal land, acknowledging the local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Owners is a mark of respect. It is also respectful to acknowledge Elders past and present.
Your Acknowledgment of the Traditional Owners of the land implies:
Example of an Acknowledgement of Country:
“I would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Land we are meeting on today; the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nations. I pay my respects to their Elders past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people here today.”
A Welcome to Country is not the same as an Acknowledgement of Country. It provides an opportunity for the local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people to welcome you to their country. At the opening of a new building or new program, you may want to welcome those attending. However, it is the right of local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people to first welcome you to their land. The Welcome to Country values Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and recognises the ancestral spirits who created the boundaries and lands, which allow safe passage to visitors.
The Welcome to Country has been part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways for thousands of years. It can only be performed by an Elder or respected person who is from the local clan and been given permission to do so.
There are many ways that an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person may perform a ‘Welcome to Country’. It may consist of a single speech, or include a performance (a song, dance, didgeridoo solo etc.), a smoking or cleansing ceremony—or a combination of these. Ceremonies and practices reflect the vibrant nature of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander culture. By supporting their inclusion, you will be introducing Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander culture to a group of people who otherwise may not have enjoyed such experiences.
A smoking ceremony is an ancient custom among some Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander tribes that involves smouldering various native plants to produce smoke which has cleansing properties and the ability to ward off bad spirits, and are still performed today. They are also used in the context of healing, spiritual renewal and strengthening by some Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander healing practitioners. This ceremony is a ritual of purification and unity and is undertaken by an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person with specialised cultural knowledge. Given the significant nature of the ceremony, it is usually only performed at events regarded as appropriate by the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community.
In providing cultural services such as ‘Welcome to Country,’ artistic performances and ceremonies, it is important to acknowledge that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are using their own time and intellectual property. For this reason, it is appropriate that people are offered payment and appropriate remuneration for their services. Appropriate payment and remuneration should be negotiated, considering speaker fees, travel to and from the event as well as the public profile nature of the event.
A partnership with an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community is much more than simply writing a memorandum of understanding or a protocol, calling something a partnership, or including self-determination as an organisational value. Engagement policies and protocols should respect the role of different Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community groups and outline the basis of the relationship. They may outline consultative processes or establish mechanisms for engagement such as an advisory committee to your organisation and should be developed in consultation with the relevant Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community and where possible seek the guidance and advice of the Local Aboriginal Network (LAN).
The Victorian Aboriginal Affairs Framework (VAAF) is underpinned by self-determination and is driven by the following 11 self-determination guiding principles, which set the minimum standard for all work with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Victorians:
Further information on Welcome to Country and Acknowledgment of Traditional Owners; steps to determine which is required; tips on what to say during an Acknowledgement; and tips on organising a Welcome to Country
Map of Victorian Traditional Owners