Indigenous elder Aunty Joy Murphy removed from Obama talk
An event company has apologised after a highly-respected Indigenous elder was barred from performing a traditional ceremony at a Barack Obama event.
Organisers of Barack Obama’s speaking event in Melbourne have apologised after an Indigenous elder was stopped from performing a Welcome to Country ceremony.
Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin had been asked to open the event with the traditional ceremony on Wednesday night but she was stopped at the last minute, according to the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation.
The Wurundjeri elder said she was told she was being “too difficult” before she was removed from the event proceedings just hours before the talk was due to commence.
Aunty Joy said she asked the event organisers Growth Faculty to accommodate requests for her to have a support person and to provide Mr Obama with a gift in keeping with cultural practice.
But she said she was told the requests were excessive before she was removed from the event.
On Thursday, the organisers said they had apologised to Aunty Joy and blamed security issues for the decision.
“Growth Faculty holds deep respect for Australia’s Traditional Owners and is proud to be hosting events this week on the lands of the Wurundjeri people,” the statement said.
“Due to security requirements, the organisation was unable to accommodate last minute changes to the agreed upon ceremony.”
The organisers noted they had worked with Aunty Joy and the Wurundjeri community “for many weeks” prior to the event.
The Wurundjeri elder has been asked to perform a Welcome to Country at a business lunch with Mr Obama in Melbourne on Thursday.
NCA NewsWire was told the 78-year-old elder was so upset after being removed from proceedings that she had to lie down.
“I have been shocked and distressed by the way I have been treated by event organisers,” she said.
“I am 78 years of age. I have never been treated or spoken to in this way in the past.”
As Senior Aboriginal Elder of the Wurundjeri People, Aunty Joy has welcomed the Queen, Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama in past ceremonies.
“The Welcome to Country is a very important ceremony for our people. It is an honour to Welcome people like President Obama and I upset that I am unable to do this today,” Aunty Joy said.
A Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal says it is a “deep offence” to the Wurundjeri people and to all First Nations people.
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