The Cairnmillar Institute is committed to showing value and respect for the Aboriginal communities and traditional owners who continue to be the cultural custodians and holders of knowledge for the land on which our events are held and our campus is built. An acknowledgement of the traditional custodians of the land should be said with respect and sincerity at the beginning of meetings, events and the first class of each semester. The very first speaker should make the Acknowledgement before any further proceedings occur.
The best Acknowledgement of Country comes from the heart, with an authentic desire to meet and be met, and to accept and respect the place and the history of the place(s) in which we gather (even if those places are online). If you are not confident giving an Acknowledgement of Country that’s okay too. You an use one of the scripts below.
Wominjeka means Hello/Welcome in the Woiwurrung language of the Wurundjeri people of Kulin Nation – the traditional owners of Melbourne. Include this in your acknowledgement if you feel comfortable doing so.
First Speaker
The following Acknowledgement of Country statement is appropriate on the Hawthorn Campus:
“To begin, I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land upon which we meet today, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation, and pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging.”
OR
“I would like to acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation who are the traditional custodians of the land on which this campus stands. I pay respect to the Wurundjeri Elders, past, present and emerging, and extend this respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait people from other communities who are here today”.
For meetings and events outside of Melbourne seek guidance from the venue if possible. If you are unsure of the specific people or nation to address a more general ‘common ground’ acknowledgement can be used:
“We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.”
Additional Speakers
If there are multiple speakers at a very formal event it is often appropriate for the second speaker to respond to the Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners or to a formal Welcome to Country (e.g. at Graduation). The following is considered a respectful response: “I respectfully acknowledge the past and present traditional owners of this land on which we are meeting, it is a privilege to be standing on Wurundjeri country”.
Welcome to Country
Note: an Acknowledgement of Country is different to a Welcome to Country. A formal Welcome can only be performed by an indigenous elder. For more information try the following resource: https://australianstogether.org.au/discover/indigenous-culture/understanding-welcome-to-country/
To arrange a Welcome to Country for an official Cairnmillar event, contact the Director of Corporate Services in the first instance.
Additional Resources
See also: Indigenous Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Resources and Indigenous Cultural Awareness Foundations and Work Ready Courses (free for CMI students)