Should We Stop Doing Acknowledgements of Country?

It is a question more people are asking, both quietly and loudly.

• “They’ve become tokenistic.”
• “They don’t mean anything anymore.”
• “They’re just a recent invention.”
• “We do them too often.”

Have you heard one of these statements?
Alternatively, have you ever wondered the same thing yourself?

Stop the Autopilot, Not the Acknowledgement

So, should we stop doing them?

Yes, or at least pause, if we do not understand why we are doing them or why they matter. Ultimately, this is exactly when an Acknowledgement of Country becomes rushed, rote, and resented.

This is a completely natural reaction. We all feel frustration when we do not understand why we are being asked to do something.

However, the answer is not to abandon the practice. Instead, we need to stop the autopilot.

The Missing Piece: Understanding Country

The real challenge may be that we’ve never been helped to understand what we are acknowledging, why it matters, what Country means to First Nations peoples, or the benefits this understanding can bring both personally and organisationally.

When people begin to understand Country as family, identity, belonging and responsibility, an Acknowledgement can create confidence, connection and even pride. It can be transformative.

Moving From Script to Genuine Connection

At Evolve Communities, we’ve seen this happen time and time again. In our Ally Accreditation Program, you write and record your own Acknowledgement of Country. We now have hundreds of these, along with stories of the tangible changes the process creates for people and their workplaces.

Specifically, it moves the practice from the head to the heart. It forces us to ask ourselves what we are truly thankful for and how we relate to the land we stand on.

So, the next time you hear someone challenge an Acknowledgement of Country, or if you feel that familiar resistance yourself, invite yourself to be curious.

A way to have that difficult conversation with curiosity, is outlined in our popular and practical R3 Culture approach.

A Moment to Reflect

What challenge or objection to the Acknowledgement of Country do you hear most often?

More importantly, how can you help shift that conversation from a scripted requirement to a genuine connection?

Take a moment to reflect on your own understanding of Country. Because when we understand why we are acknowledging it, our confidence and connection not only grows, but can inspire.