Standing Up for Welcome to Country: What Comes Next?
Only weeks after we last wrote about the attacks on Welcome to Country, here we are again.
The recent booing at the Anzac Day ceremony at the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance, followed by a wave of misinformation, has stirred strong emotions across the country. With the upcoming election, these incidents carry even more weight, highlighting ongoing divisions and the need for meaningful dialogue. The question is, what’s next? What can we do?
This week at Evolve, we’ve been reflecting deeply on these events, and Aunty Munya’s words offer us guidance:
“One of the biggest misrepresentations is that it is a Welcome to Australia, but it isn’t. The Aboriginal-English word ‘Country’ does not refer to a nation state like Australia or America. Instead, it relates to the specific tribal lands or region of a particular First Nation. Thus, a Welcome to Country is not a Welcome to Australia. It is a Welcome to a specific tribal territory.
When Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples offer a Welcome to Country, they are not asking for anything. Rather, they offer an invitation to share in an age-old tradition. It is so much more than a mere welcome. It is a prayer and a blessing to provide you with safe passage. Ultimately, a Welcome to Country is about extending the hand of friendship in a generous act of Reconciliation. Time will not bury our cultural traditions. They will exist as long as we continue to exist as peoples. We will not be erased. We will survive.
An Acknowledgement of Country, on the other hand, is about seeing us, respectfully, as the First Peoples of this country. You cannot imagine how powerful this gesture is for people who have been historically marginalised on the fringes of Australian society for a long time.
I dream that someday all Australians will fully embrace and respect the Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country as the beautiful, magnanimous, spiritual acts that they are.”
The Power of Those Who Showed Up
What struck Aunty and I most this week wasn’t just the headlines, but the many who stood up — and refused to stay silent. Let’s focus our attention on that.
First Nations leaders like Aunty Joy Murphy, Michael Mansell, and the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria spoke clearly about the true meaning of Welcome to Country. They reminded us that this is not about division. It is about recognition and relationship.
Allies raised their voices too. Commentator Carrick Ryan asked, if we respect the traditions of other faiths, why do we struggle to show the same respect here? And perhaps most powerful of all was the response from others in attendance:
“The actions of that very small minority were completely disrespectful to veterans and the spirit of Anzac Day. In response, the applause of everybody else attending drowned it out and showed the respect befitting of the occasion.” — Robert Webster, President, RSL Victoria
Many of you, our Allies, continue to show up — sharing thoughtful posts, amplifying First Nations voices, and speaking to the heart of what Welcome to Country is really about.
How Can We Respond?
We also know that misinformation and myths about Welcome to Country continue to fuel misunderstanding. If you would like to explore this further, we unpack these myths in our companion blog post, What They Got Wrong About Welcome to Country.
So, what can we do? How do we respond meaningfully?
Our answer is this: Keep the focus on what Welcome to Country truly means. Help others understand why it matters.
It starts with learning. It continues through conversation. It takes courage to speak up, but your voice makes a difference.
How will you help keep the focus on the true meaning of Welcome to Country? What will your next act of Allyship be?
Join our community of Allies
Let’s show our Indigenous brothers and sisters that we are here for them, we value their Voices and we are committed to continuing the journey towards Reconciliation.
