Australians are fed up with Welcome to Country ceremonies, a new survey has revealed.
The poll, conducted by independent marketing research firm Dynata, found that more than half of the 1005 respondents think the practice has “become divisive.”
Welcome to Country: A Divisive Tradition?
Only 17 per cent of participants disagreed with the statement, while 27 per cent were unsure.
Surprisingly, 48 per cent of those aged 18 to 24 – a demographic often thought to be more progressive than generations past – didn’t believe the ritual to be a unifying one.
The survey also explored sentiment around the performance of Welcome to Country before major events like Anzac Day or sporting matches.
The results were more mixed, with 46 per cent and 49 per cent respectively saying they should no longer be performed before either event, versus 34 per cent and 30 per cent who said they should continue.
IPA Deputy Executive Director Weighs In
Daniel Wild, deputy executive director of the Institute of Public Affairs, said the survey results proved “Australians have had an absolute gutful” of the “divisive and pointless” tradition.
“Even younger Australians, who the political class insist are left-wing and woke, by a two-to-one margin believe Welcome to Country performances are divisive,” Mr Wild said.
“And they are evenly split on the performances at sporting events and Anzac Day ceremonies, further underscoring how divisive it is.”
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley’s Stance
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley recently opened her National Press Club address by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land. While she maintained that Welcome to Country ceremonies have their place, she also emphasized the importance of striking the right balance.
Her words were a marked departure from the stance of her predecessor Peter Dutton, who omitted Acknowledgement of Country statements at major events and speeches during his election campaign.
Indigenous Leaders Speak Out
A number of Indigenous community leaders and academics have questioned the frequency with which Welcome to Country ceremonies are being performed, as well as the motives behind them.
“Welcome to Country is overused. It is meant to be a sacred ceremony between tribes, not to be commercialised like a money-making machine,” said former South Australian AFL player Tyson Lindsay.
“I talk to my elders about it and they say it is not acceptable, every time we hear it we cringe now … There are too many real issues facing Aboriginal people to be worrying about these empty symbolic gestures.”
Warren Mundine, a prominent Indigenous leader and businessman, said he was sick of the practice being hijacked for political purposes.
“A welcome is supposed to be, ‘I’m glad you’re here’,” Mr Mundine explained. “It’s like welcoming someone into your house.”
Wiradjuri woman and University of Melbourne Associate Professor of Indigenous Education, Dr Jessa Rogers, also emphasized the importance of understanding the true meaning of Welcome to Country. According to Dr Rogers, the misconception that the tradition is “about welcoming you to Australia” is “completely ridiculous.”
“People think that a Welcome to Country is welcoming them to Australia, when in fact it is welcoming them to the specific Country of that local Aboriginal nation,” Dr Rogers said.
Simply put, Dr Rogers explained, Welcome to Country is a formal welcome by the traditional owners and custodians of a particular place, to their country.
“Country is not the same as ‘Australia’,” she said. “It is a spiritual concept as well as a physical one — it encompasses landmarks but also people, skies, waterways, and beings. Country is what we belong to as Aboriginal people.”