Warren Mundine, an Indigenous leader, called for unity following the controversial Welcome to Country ceremony that was held before a sporting event last week.
Brendan Kerin, a cultural educator and elder from the Metropolitan Land Council, delivered a similar speech before the match between the Brisbane Lions and the GWS Giants.
Before the match, Kerin explained that the Welcome to Country ceremony was not a creation of white people but a tradition that has been carried out for thousands of years.
He then referred to the criticism he received as “ignorance and stupidity.” During an interview on Friday, he said that he expected the backlash he received.
Kerin noted that the ceremony was carried out as part of the job of the organizers.
He said that seeing people such as Andrew Bolt and Pauline Hanson, as well as Mundine, confirm that he is on the right track.
Despite the criticism he received, Kerin said he would not change his speech. On Sunday, Mundine told Sky News that he thought that Kerin was just doubling down on his statement.
He also doubted the timeframe that the cultural educator had given for the ceremony.
According to Mr. Mundine, the Welcome to Country concept was a beautiful idea but it had started to become a divisive political issue.
He noted that One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s call for people to turn their backs on the ceremony was just another example of division.
He said that the Indigenous leaders should go back to the original concept of the ceremony.
Pauline Hanson called for Australians to ignore the Welcome to Country ceremony after Kerin delivered his controversial speech.
He added that Ms. Hanson’s call for people to ignore the ceremony was a step too far. As a deputy mayor in Dubbo, he would welcome new citizens as an Aboriginal person.
He said he was proud of them for choosing to live and contribute in Australia.
Mr. Mundine said that migrants have demonstrated how important it is to have a welcoming environment and work together.
He said that Ms. Hanson had gone too far by her call for people to disregard the ceremony.
1 Comment
Get rid of the welcoming to Australia, it’s an absolute disgrace and a joke.