Delivering an Acknowledgement of Country at meetings
Are you an overseas business seeking trade and investment opportunities within Australia? At some point, you or representatives of your business may be conducting meetings or events in Australia. If so, you may wish to consider commencing the session with an Acknowledgement of Country.
An Acknowledgement of Country recognises that you are meeting on the land of First Nations peoples, whose history on the continent spans at least 65,000 years. Australians in government and business are incorporating welcoming and acknowledgement protocols into official meetings and events at an increasing pace. As an overseas business, if you are conducting a meeting in Australia, incorporating an Acknowledgement of Country at the start of your meeting indicates to your Australian counterpart a heightened awareness and cultural literacy towards Australian meeting protocols.
An Acknowledgement of Country can be conducted by anyone. It is a demonstration of respect towards the traditional custodians of the land or sea where the gathering of participants is being conducted and recognition of the continuing connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to Country (the land within their cultural boundaries which their ancestors have cared for, and lived on, for millennia).
While anyone (Australian and non-Australian) can perform an Acknowledgement of Country, it should not be confused with a Welcome to Country. The latter is only delivered by Traditional Owners, or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who have been given permission from Traditional Owners, to welcome visitors to their Country.
If a significant event is being held on Australian soil, you may wish to consider arranging for a Welcome to Country to be performed. Welcome to Country occurs at the beginning of a formal event and can often have singing, dancing, smoking ceremonies, and/or a speech. It can be described as a spiritual moment, given that the traditional practice was to welcome the visitors and offer them safe passage and spiritual protection.
There are some great resources to learn more about both a Welcome to Country and an Acknowledgement of Country, along with suggested wording to use if you’re commencing a meeting with an Acknowledgement of Country. Two reputable sources include:
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