‘Woke’ staff pushing for acknowledgments of country at every meeting despite some calls to scale back

Councils and universities have doubled down on their commitment to regular welcomes and acknowledgments to country despite calls from some Indigenous figures to scale them back.

Welcomes and acknowledgments of country must remain but people should use some “common sense” and stop going over the top, Indigenous figures have declared.

As calls ring out for the often controversial statements and ceremonies to be scaled back, councils, universities and lobby groups have doubled down on their commitment to regular welcomes and acknowledgments.

Victorian business insiders, however, have revealed that the pressure to incorporate them at every meeting, conference and event often came from “woke” staff.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution, one senior source said listening to every attendee acknowledge the traditional owners at a recent meeting was “comical”, but that he still felt compelled to give one.

Another said during meetings with a private and public sector crossover they were often “over the top” but there was a silent pressure to conform.

The figures said it was progressive staff often pushing for extra acknowledgments and welcomes internally, rather than the government or Indigenous groups.

One leading childhood educator, however, said pressure to incorporate daily acknowledgments in lessons with three and four year-olds, often through song, came through government and peak body frameworks.

As large parts of the community are calling for the ceremonies to be scaled back, councils and universities are doubling down on their commitment to them. Picture: Martin Ollman

And that if you failed to give one you would likely be “crucified” by fellow staff.

“It’s being pushed down our throat,” she said.

The state government’s first peoples relation wing advises that traditional owners should be acknowledged at an extensive number of events, including the start of functions, board meetings and school assemblies.

Debate was reignited earlier this year after a contentious Welcome to Country at the Melbourne Anzac Day Dawn Service prompted booing from the crowd.

Former First Nations Assembly co-chair Marcus Stewart defended welcomes and acknowledgments of country as “part of the social fabric of this great country”.

“It’s what makes us uniquely Australian, celebrating, respecting 65,000 years of history,” he said.

However, he recognised they could be overdone.

“Sure, some people might get the wrong end of the stick and go a bit over the top, but it doesn’t mean we should stop doing them, it just means people should exercise some common sense,” he said.

Prominent Indigenous leader and businessman Warren Mundine, however, said it was time to wind them back, revealing he had quit Welcomes to Country at his own company meetings.

“Why do we need to be saying welcome to the country when we work in the same office?” he said.

“You’re not a racist if you don’t do it.”

Warren Mundine says the ceremonies should be wound back. Picture Thomas Lisson

Mr Mundine said he was also sick of them being hijacked for political purposes.

“A welcome is supposed to be: ‘I’m glad you’re here’,” he said.

“It’s like welcoming someone into your house.”

Former premier Jeff Kennett, who spent nine years as the chairman of The Torch Foundation – supporting Indigenous prisoners – said a meaningful act is not going to be valued “if the instruction is that everyone has to conform”.

“A nugget of gold is valuable because they’re rare,” he said.

Opposition Leader Brad Battin said he did not believe every speaker at an event should repeat an acknowledgment, but that it was ultimately up to organisations.

“My view, and I go to a lot of these events, is if the first person has done an acknowledgement of country, not everyone needs to do it after that,” he said.

Premier Jacinta Allan said the acknowledgments were about respect and should never be used as a “tool of political division”.

Major universities, including RMIT and Monash, said they would continue to

encourage staff and students to include acknowledgments in events and communications.

The Property Council of Australia and Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said it was standard practice for hosts and MCs to give an acknowledgment of country at events.

Originally published as ‘Woke’ staff pushing for acknowledgments of country at every meeting despite some calls to scale back