A Welcome to Country is different to an Acknowledgement of Country. A Welcome to Country is a ceremony performed by a local Aboriginal person of significance (usually an Elder) to acknowledge and give consent to events taking place on their traditional lands.
The words are: 'I begin today by acknowledging the <insert name of people here (e.g. Ngunnawal)> people, Traditional Custodians of the land on which we <gather/meet> today, and pay my respects to their Elders past and present. I extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.'
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.
As a minimum, appropriate wording for responding to a Welcome to Country would include: “I acknowledge the *___________________people, the Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander** Owners of the land where we gather today and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging.
A "Welcome to Country" should always occur in the opening ceremony of the event in question, preferably as the first item. The "Welcome to Country" is conducted by a representative/s of the local Aboriginal custodians who welcome the delegates, those in attendance, invited guests, staff and students to their country.
Here's a sample wording: [Organisation] operates on [Aboriginal nation] country. We acknowledge the [Aboriginal nation] people as the traditional custodians of the [Organisation location] region and pay our respects to [Aboriginal nation] elders past and present.
General acknowledgement
I would like to pay my respect and acknowledge the Ongoing Custodians of the land on which we gather. I pay respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to other Aboriginal people [or 'other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people'] here today.
Not all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can perform a Welcome to Country as it must be given by an appropriate person such as a recognised Elder within the local community. In some parts of the Territory there may be disputes about who the Traditional Custodians are.
Welcome to Country ceremonies, once viewed in light of the points discussed above, are not ultimately meant to entertain - even though they might provide cultural entertainment - but rather are intrinsically political acts. They are performative acts, not mere performances.
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.
The ceremony traditionally may have lasted for many days as discussions are held about the purpose of the visit and appropriate ceremonies are performed. What is significant about this, is the act of gaining permission and agreeing to be respectful whilst you are visiting someone's country.
A Welcome to Country can take anywhere from 5-15 minutes to complete. A Welcome to Country with a Smoking Ceremony can take between 5-20 minutes, depending on how many guests are in attendance. A Digeridoo (Yidaki) performance can take between 5-10 minutes.
A Welcome to Country offers safe passage and protection to the visitors on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land. It's been part of our culture since the beginning, and it calls for the visitor to respect the protocols and rules of the landowner group while on their Country.
For some Aboriginal people, Acknowledgement of Country is a constant reminder of the responsibilities of custodians to advocate for the protection of a fragile environment and its cultural heritage. It reminds us all Aboriginal languages were the first languages spoken in this country. Many are are still spoken.
Involving children to say the Acknowledgment Of Country daily will enhance the knowledge of all children and to show respect to the cultural identity of the Aboriginal community in which they are situated.
' 'Welcome aboard' is considered to be more informal.
We usually use it when speaking informally to welcome someone onto a vessel or to a team. 'Welcome on board,' on the other hand, is more formal and more suitable when it comes to welcoming someone to a team via email.
“Welcome aboard” and “welcome on board” mean the same thing and can be used interchangeably. You could use either phrase when welcoming someone onto a vessel. Both can also be used when welcoming somebody new to a business. However, “welcome on board” is considered to be slightly more formal than “welcome aboard”.
A spokesperson for the NSW Aboriginal Affairs Department says there is no official fee schedule for ceremonies, as they vary in complexity and audience. She believes $400-450 for a 15-20 minute Welcome is typical and dismisses as “rubbish” a report of $1200.
An Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners should be given at formal events, forums and functions such as Government and Local Government meetings, conferences, school assemblies, concerts, board meetings, and official openings.
Elders are usually addressed with "uncle" or "aunty" which in this context are terms of respect. They are used for people held in esteem, generally older people who have earned that respect. They don't need to be elders. At many activities and events the protocol is "elders first".
Often, territory acknowledgements are concise, along the lines of: “I want to acknowledge that we are on the traditional territory of [nation names].” Some people may also mention the name of a local treaty. Some may learn the language and speak a few words in it.
The Noongar people have lived in the south-west corner of Western Australia for at least 45,000 years. There are several language groups that make up the Noongar, including the Whadjuk, who are the traditional owners of the land around Perth.