Juru people in Burdekin vote to ban Welcome to Country ceremonies on ancestral land

Indigenous leader Warren Mundine has applauded a Qld Aboriginal group’s call to ban Welcome to Country saying it had been abused to the point it had become “a cliche”.

The Juru people of the Burdekin have voted to ban Welcome to Country on their land. Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

• Mayor’s ban: ‘I’ve had a gutful’

The Juru people of the Burdekin have voted to ban Welcome to Country on their ancestral land, saying they are embarrassed by the ceremonies.

A spokesman for the Juru, Randall Ross, has told 4BC Mornings with Bill McDonald that elders had voted against the ceremonies on Thursday night.

The vote follows concerns that people with no ancestral connection to the Burdekin were taking money for the ceremonies.

“The elders have had enough,’’ Mr Ross said.

“It is being abused and they want to put a stop to it.’’

Mr Ross said the elders still believed they had a responsibility to protect and advocate for their country.

But the Welcome to Country process had become a business that made many elders feel embarrassed.

Burdekin mayor Pierina Dalle Cort welcomed the decision, saying it was being seen as “an early Christmas present” by many locals.

“I can’t get into a political nightmare here but all I can say is I’m happy to work with the traditional owners,” she said.

“We had the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ vote (Voice referendum) and that vote should have been listened to at that time as well. We’re multicultural, we’re one country and we’ve all got to learn to live and work together.

“It’ll probably be an early Christmas present to a lot of people. I’ve already had some responses from people saying things like finally common sense has prevailed, basically.”

Burdekin Shire Council Mayor Pierina Dalle Cort. Picture: Supplied

Indigenous leader Warren Mundine also applauded the Juru decision, saying Welcome to Country ceremonies had been abused to the point where they had become “a cliche”.

“The point of it is it’s meant to be a welcome but some people are abusing it by charging a gazillion dollars for it or getting up there and making a political speech, telling everyone to bugger off back to where they came from,” said Mr Mundine, a former ALP national president who led the “no” campaign in last year’s Voice referendum.

“They’re (Welcome to Country ceremonies) causing anger and division. You’re getting people doing these ceremonies who are not from the area or are just out to make a quick buck.”

Mr Mundine said he had introduced Welcome to Country ceremonies when he was Dubbo deputy mayor in the 1990s.

“The immigrants and migrants doing their citizenship ceremonies loved it,” he said.

“But it’s gone too far. It’s like (saying) Grace before meals now in some places - it’s lost its heartfelt meaning. There’s a lot of abuse.”

Ms Dalle Court said Welcome to Country ceremonies weren’t held in the Burdekin too often but she would speak with Mr Ross to determine the way forward.

“We’re happy as council to work with what they want and go from there basically - they’re the traditional owners here,” she said.

The elders’ vote follows revelation that Brisbane ratepayers were footing a $135,000 bill for the events across the last two years alone and that one Aboriginal corporation sought to charge a battling small town surf club a $2000 “fee for service” for Welcome to Country ceremonies.

According to the National Association for the Visual Arts, the standard fee for Welcome to Country ceremonies ranges from $300 to $750.

Croydon shire mayor Trevor Pickering. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Earlier this year, Croydon mayor Trevor Pickering told The Courier-Mail he refused to hold Welcome to Country ceremonies at his council meetings.

Cr Pickering said Indigenous people were among members of his own extended family and he had no issue with Indigenous culture which he had grown up with in far north Queensland.

“I’ve got a nephew who is Aboriginal, I have other family members who identify as Aboriginal, I grew up with Aboriginal people, I befriended Aboriginal people and that Welcome to Country stuff is all pure bullshit,” Cr Pickering said at the time.

Originally published as Juru people in Burdekin vote to ban Welcome to Country ceremonies on ancestral land