Welcome to Country
In 1788 settlers arrived in Australia from England. Over the next two centuries non-Aboriginal people took control of much of the land that is now known as Australia.
For many years, and particulary during the 1970s and 1980s, Aboriginal people campaigned for Land Rights. In the 1990s the Australian High Court recongised a limited form of land rights known as Native Title, but there are still many Aboriginal people who assert an ownership right to land that was sold to private interests in the 219 years since colonisation.
It has become traditional for major meetings to acknowledge the prior ownership of the land by Aboriginal people through a Welcome to Country ceremony. The ceremony is derived from the traditional practice whereby Aboriginal groups would welcome visitors to their land.
At CI World Congress 2007 we invited Allen Madden to perform the ceremony. Among other things Allen remarked that he regretted that he is not able to speak the language of his ancestors. This is because he, like many other Aboriginal people, was denied the opportunity to learn his language.
Speaking for CHOICE and CI we are very greatful to Allen and the people he represents for their permission to meet on their ancestral lands.
