Aboriginal Elders Vote to End ‘Welcome to Country’, Say It’s Become a ‘Business’

Indigenous performers perform the Welcome to Country during a smoke ceremony prior to the state funeral service for Uncle Jack Charles at Hamer Hall in Melbourne, Australia on Oct. 18, 2022. Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

The Indigenous “Welcome to Country,” ubiquitous at formal events in Australia, has become the centre of debate once again.

A Queensland Aboriginal group, the Juru people, have voted against performing the Welcome to Country ceremony—performed by Aboriginals to welcome visitors—on its ancestral land going forward.

“When I look at it from a cultural perspective, there is a social obligation and that’s to make sure people are safe on your country,” said Juru Indigenous elder Randall Ross.

“What I can see today is Welcome to Country has become a bit of, it’s a business that supports some individuals and that’s where, again, they’re losing the cultural insight of what the Welcome to Countries are about,” Ross told 4BC radio.

The motion was passed on Dec. 5.

The concept was defined in the 1970s by an Indigenous dance troupe, and has now become a widespread part of officials events.

Ross said many ceremonies were not even performed by the right people.

“Many of the elders there have been witnessing and seeing people do Welcome to Countries in the Burdekin, and the problem is you’ve got people that aren’t connected to the Burdekin area and they’re still doing Welcome to Countries,” he said.

“I know they receive a gesture of money as a part of it and the problem is the people are trying to correct it, the traditional owners are trying to correct it, but you’ve got government and other bodies saying, ‘Oh well we’ve got a list of names and they’re one of them that’s been identified as a part of that supply to perform these processes.’”

Commonplace at Official Events

The often short performance have attracted strong support from governments.

Last month, it was revealed the Brisbane City Council spent $135,000 of ratepayers’ money on Welcome to Country ceremonies over two years.

While last year, several federal government departments spent about $45,000 over the year.

The National Association for the Visual Arts prices the Welcome to Country at $300 to $750 per session, and $700 to $1,500 for the Smoking Ceremony. These fees will vary depending on the Aboriginal land council and any other fees like travel.

The ceremony caused a stir, however, during the AFL semi-final in Sydney between the Giants and Lions when Aboriginal elder Brendan Kerin said the events “weren’t to cater for white people.”

“It is a ceremony that we’ve been doing for 250,000 years plus BC,” he told the crowd. “And the BC stands for ‘before Cook.’” Captain James Cook is credited with exploring and mapping Australia and New Zealand for the British Empire.

Misused for Profit: Ross

Meanwhile, Ross said many Indigenous people were upset that the ceremony was being misused and for the wrong motives.

He said it was a duty handed down from their ancestors to protect those passing on their land, not something for profit.

“We can see it well and truly being abused, it makes us feel embarrassed,” Ross said. “The elders have had enough.”

Ross said there was also a spiritual element related to the practice, and he likened it to the concept of karma.

The leaders of the Burdekin Indigenous community say they are content in allowing an alternative Acknowledgement of Country, but that it should not be used for money.