Reflecting on Welcome to Country
- Have you seen a particularly compelling or moving Welcome to Country?
The Welcome to Country performed at UniSQ (then USQ) in 2021 to observe the beginning of Semester 2 was not my first taste of First Australians culture in an academic space. However, this particular ritual marked the significance of the present moment for the reconciliation of First Australians and settlers/colonisers. In addition, it served as a necessary reminder to me of my place in history.
- Even if you don’t identify as FNP, you can perform an Acknowledgment of Country. Reflecting on all that has been taught to you so far, what are some key points that you’d address in your Acknowledgment?
I run a club affiliated with UniSQ to facilitate space for thought and discussion surrounding the implication of personality being at the forefront of psychospiritual reality.
Over the course of the club’s existence, I have been concerned about how best to perform Acknowledgement of Country to initiate club sessions. Consulting relevant sources on First Nations community and cultural protocols, e.g. Reconciliation Australia https://www.reconciliation.org.au/, I have edited a unique Acknowledgement of Country in the hopes of sincerely contributing to reconciliation and unity across Australia.
Below is the latest example of an Acknowledgement of Country spoken at the beginning of a club session:
Wisdom & The Enneagram acknowledges and pays respect to the Traditional Custodians and Elders of [the] nation, past, present and emerging. Further, we [the club] affirm the continuation of the cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
