Brendan Kerin, an Aboriginal elder from Western Australia, broke his silence this week after his controversial Welcome to Country speech at an AFL match went viral.
Although the ceremony is typically followed by a fairly standard script, many people criticized Kerin for his unique take on the tradition.
The Welcome to Country ceremony was not designed to cater to white people. Instead, it has been performed by Aboriginal people for over 250,000 years.
Kerin also came under fire after he claimed that the ceremony was named after BC, which stands for Before Cook.
In an interview with NITV, Kerin, who is a cultural instructor for the Metropolitan Land Council in Sydney, discussed the controversy.
He said that he was glad to see how people were reacting to the issue, and he believed that they should take a step back and reflect on their ignorant statements.
Some of the prominent individuals who have commented on the issue include Andrew Bolt, Pauline, Jacinta, Warren Mundine, and many more.
On Monday, One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson called the Welcome to Country ceremony racially divisive. In her post, she stated that Australians were tired of the ceremonies.
Addressing the issue, the septuagenarian noted that the acknowledgment of country performances and the Welcome to Country ceremony are divisive in Australia. Australians are tired of being told that the nation is not theirs.
According to Bolt, the acknowledgements and welcome ceremonies deny the sovereignty and citizenship of all Australians.
On Sky News, Mundine claimed that the tradition has already been “done to death” and that it is starting to lose its sheen.
This week, the Welcome to Country ceremonies were held before Australia’s women’s cricket team defeated New Zealand in a T20 match on Thursday.
They were conducted without any controversy prior to the match between the Power and Swans on Friday. Kerin also stated that he had no regrets about his controversial speech.
In response to a question, Kerin said that he would go back and repeat the ceremony if he was asked. However, he added that he would not change a word.