Country - Acknowledgement and Welcome

It genuinely surprises me that so many Australians seem not to have figured out what a Welcome to (or Acknowledgement of) Country actually is. It's really not complex, nor should any reasonable person regard it as offensive or unnecessary.

For a start, in the context of a Welcome or Acknowledgement, 'Country' does not refer to the entire Australian nation, but the specific First Nations country on which any of us are standing on at any given moment. To understand the significance of this, one simply needs to understand the concept of sacred space and the concept of home.

One of the most sublime forms of cultural identity can be found in the Indigenous connection to Country. Think of the Christian concept of Church: Churches are places we all - Christian and non-Christian alike - accept as places of significance and reverence. Any person who embraces the concept of respect understands this. If only people conducted themselves with that kind of respect for space and place at all times! Well, the Indigenous notion of Country reframes everything as 'Church'. It is all sacred. In the same way that we are called to bless ourselves as we enter a Church, we acknowledge that for First Nations peoples, we are entering their sacred space when we are on their Country.

Secondly, the Indigenous concept of Country is one that deeply imbibes and expresses the concept of Home. It extends so much further than the notions of ownership or citizenship. If I go to your home, I knock, and as likely as not, I will be greeted. I don't simply barge in because I am Australian. The fact that your home is part of Australia does not mean there isn't a compatible distinction between what's mine and what's yours. Again, it's simply a matter of respect.

I work in a school where every lesson starts with a prayer. To some, this might seem over done, but to me, it isn't. How can reverence and respect possibly be overdone? How can any human life have too much of either?

To those who bless themselves entering Churches or conduct themselves respectfully when they do, who welcome guests to their homes and knock before entering others, who welcome the singing of the national anthem and acknowledge the significance of the Australian flag, but struggle with the concept of Country Welcome or Acknowledgement, I ask you to reflect on this. It is a ritual - a custom that is rich in significance. And it's not some recent affectation, despite what you might have read from some ill-informed pundits. It is ancient. Indigenous peoples have respected the movement across Nations for millennia. And for all peoples, it enriches. In being welcomed, I am given a place in a history that stretches back further than any other continuous culture. That is a privilege beyond measure. To acknowledge so is gratitude, and believe me, I am grateful.

Gratitude and respect. That's really all it is.