Following the controversial Welcome to Country ceremony conducted over the weekend, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson called for an end to the ceremonies.
Brendan Kerin, an Aboriginal elder, performed an unusual welcome before the match between the Brisbane Lions and the GWS Giants kicked off at Sydney’s Engie Stadium.
The Welcome to Country ceremony, which is usually conducted before major sporting events, is designed to welcome visitors to the land that they’ve come to.
According to Kerin, the ceremony was not designed to cater to white people. Instead, it was created by Aboriginal people over 250,000 years ago.
He referred to the time frame as “BC” and “BC stands for Before Cook.”
Hanson, who is a senator from One Nation, called the ceremonies racial divisive and said that Australians are tired of them.
Addressing the issue of racial division in Australia, the 70-year-old stated that the Welcome to Country and acknowledgment of country ceremonies are divisive elements that have become an integral part of the nation’s modern discourse.
Australians are fed up of being told that the country is not theirs.
In her post, Hanson stated that the country’s welcoming ceremonies are not only divisive but also deny the sovereignty and citizenship of all Australians.
Her followers agreed with her position.
