I acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, the Wiradjuri People. This column is dedicated to those who have gone before us, to those present and to those who will follow us.
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For thousands of years Aboriginal people have always respected Ngurambang (country) and mayiny (people) and this tradition still continues today.
I’m sure you have heard of a “Welcome to Country” which is a spoken welcome done by our Elders.
This is a respectful way of giving travelling people a safe passage through someone’s garray (land).
Madhu (many) years ago this was done also with a special tool called a “message stick”.
To be able to enter another mob’s nation, garray (land), this stick was carried by travelling people as a way of indicating the purpose of their visit and arrival.
I have seen some of these ancient tools when I visited Canberra recently. They range from the size if your marra (hand) to about the length of your arm.
On these tools special engravings and carvings are done which indicate in art, your purpose for your murru (journey) through another mob’s nation.
These message sticks are like a key that we use now, a key to be able to enter an area that needs special permission or an access card. When travelling mayiny (people) were about to enter another nation, they would set up camp, start a fire and wait. They wait for the local mob to see their fire, in doing this they have signalled their intention to enter that nation.
The local mob would come to their camp and have a yarn, and then they would either accept or deny the message stick. Acceptance allowed the travelling mob to enter their Ngurambang (country) to do trade, share news and stories. If the stick and group were not welcomed, then they either would leave the area or negotiate a way of making peace, therefore allowing access to the other mobs garray (land).
So these days in our local areas we now do a “Welcome to Country” by speech, it means just as much as using a message stick as it ever did. To be able to continue to “welcome” travelling mobs to our area is a huge part of our culture and heritage.
An acknowledgement is someone very different. This is something that can be done by most people, it is worded differently as it acknowledges “country” and “people” but is not a welcome as such. This is a way that schools and organisations can show respect to “country” and “people” without having an Elder in attendance.
Proper protocols should be followed with this greeting. To find out more about this you should contact your Local Aboriginal Lands Council, or your Local Elder’s group, or groups such as Wagaan Wagaan in Wagga.
Many schools take on this role of “Acknowledgment to Country” and most times it is done by an Aboriginal student, if that is sometimes not possible, as the school may have no Aboriginal people, then it is great to see others take up this role of acknowledging country.
However the primary role of our Elders to do “Welcome to Country” as well as be our leaders, role models and carers for country and people. Our role as Aboriginal people is to support our Elders as best and as often as we can. They hold the knowledge of our culture, they are the caretakers of language and heritage.
For more learning and sharing see www.facebook.com/WiradjuriMob