Aboriginal and Māori groups call for apology after 'dispespectful' treatment of Welcome to Country

Indigenous communities across the Tasman are calling for greater respect following backlash and "shocking and disappointing" treatment of a cultural ritual and formal ceremony - Welcome to Country.

On Anzac Day, an Aboriginal Bunurong Elder, Uncle Mark Brown, was heckled during a Welcome to Country at Melbourne's dawn service.

That evening, Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin was told at the last minute that her Welcome to Country at the Storm vs Rabbitohs game had been cancelled - leaving her "heartbroken."

To make a stand, the Djirri Djirri, who are the only Wurundjeri female dance group and traditional custodians of Narrm (Melbourne), refused to take the stage.

A Māori rōpū, Ngā Mātai Pūrua Kapa Haka, who were also set to perform, chose to stand in solidarity with their First Nation brothers and sisters and decided to "boycott."

'Shock and disbelief'

Djirri Djirri dancer Ky-ya Nicholson-Ward (Wurundjeri, Dja Dja Wurrung, Ngurai illum Wurrung) told RNZ the moment felt surreal.

"My first emotion was shock and disbelief," she said.

"Seeing Aunty upset, we all knew we weren't going to go ahead...It goes against our protocols to be told 'no' on our unceded lands."

Nicholson-Ward said that the Storm's CEO claimed the decision was made "to protect them" - but their group had already prepared for possible backlash.

"We all came to an agreement that if anything does happen...We have our babies with us, and we need to stay strong and stay humble."

She called the Storms decision to say no to a senior Wurundjeri elder "shocking and disappointing."

"That's a next level of disrespect."

In a statement, Melbourne Storm said it acknowledged the miscommunication and would meet with those involved.

"There was some confusion on [ANZAC day] and we take responsibility for that," Storm chairman Matt Tripp said.

"We apologise for the misunderstanding and will be meeting with them to clear this up."

The club also said it would continue discussions with First Nations and Māori communities to strengthen its relationships.

Nicholson-Ward said there is a common misconception within Australia on what a Welcome to Country is.

From her whakaaro:

"A Welcome to Country has been done since time immemorial and isn't about welcoming people to Australia, which is a common misconception"

"It's when an elder from the language group - on which the event is gathered - welcomes people to their traditional lands and cleanses people of any negative energy or spirits to make sure the space is a safe space."

She said, "It's honouring the people, the land, animals, waterways, and the spirits of these lands that we gather on and acknowledging the ongoing connection that we have to our traditional countries."

"It's also to grant safe space, safe passage whilst traveling through or visiting someone else's Country. It's also a chance to educate, unite, and connect through our shared histories and also connect to the oldest continuous culture in the world."

She said a Welcome to Country is also only done by an elder of that community.

"A lot of people think it's welcoming people to Australia and that's why we get a lot of racist remarks. Like, 'I don't need to be welcomed to my own country.' But when you don't have a clue about what a Welcome to Country is... It's ridiculous...people using it as a debate."

'Standing up for our babies'

Nicholson-Ward said their decision to boycott was about protecting future generations.

"Sharing our knowledge and strength to the next generation is so important as we're an oral language and we're storytellers, and that's how our culture's been taught from generation to generation."

She traced that duty back to her great-grandmother, who she said was forcibly removed from Wurundjeri Country and sent to Coranderrk Mission at Healesville - "where many First Nations people were sent to live on missions and reserves, like animals."

"They were forbidden to speak their language, forbidden to practice their culture," she said.

"For generations after, my great-grandmothers culture has been sleeping and now we're awakening our culture and our language within my mum's generation, my generation."

Nicholson-Ward said she wants the future generations to grow up knowing their heritage with pride, not shame.

"We want the next generation to stand up for what they believe in, to grow up in spaces where their voices are heard and respected. That's why we were so passionate on the day, because [our babies] were in our arms, I thought, if we don't stop this disrespect, how will our babies grow up in a safe space in the future?"

The strength of indigenous communities coming together

Tyson Tuala, President and spokesperson for Ngā Mātai Pūrua, said the group stood in immediate solidarity with Djirri Djirri and Aunty Joy.

"We really recognise the vastness and absolute desecration of culture here," Tuala said.

"We've seen the diffference...languages sleeping, multiple different groups not heard of, multiple iwi, clans, mob, tribes, reduced down to single digits, and many lost."

"In those positions, no doubt we could've got up, we could've said a few things. We could've definitely sung, haka. We decided to stay silent so that the full respect to our First Nation brothers and sisters could be felt in that space."

Tuala said no person outside of a specific culture should enter into a debate about whether or not a cultural protocol is appropriate.

"If you let happen next to you or around you, then you are now complicit in actions that happen against your culture on your land."

He called the decision to cancel the Welcome to Country "comical".

"No culture should feel the indignity of having somebody choose whether or not their practices are appropriate. And two, if you are on this land and it's not yours, you should treat it as good, if not better than your own home."

Indigenous solidarity across the sea

Nicholson-Ward thanked Māori whānau in Aotearoa and Te Whenua Moemoea for their tautoko.

"We can all connect to the mistreatment, the attempted genocide and the colonial ways and the transgenerational trauma that we're all a part of in this generation," she said.

"I think that's why the Māori community feels that pain as well. When another First Nation people are targeted and told they cannot speak their language anymore or mistreated in any way, we all feel that pain."

"I think that's exactly why on the day, the solidarity and union was instant. It's that universal feeling that we can all relate to."

"We all carry that transgenerational trauma from generation to generation. But I think it's our time now to break those barriers, stop those cycles and pass down that generational strength."

Looking ahead

Nicholson-Ward said she wants organisations to take accountability, show respect and build genuine connections with Indigenous communities and their elders.

"We want to feel their willingness to reach out and respect our cultures and learn properly. Learn the protocols, learn why we were so upset, and truly understand what a Welcome to Country is, and the spirituality and culture that we all connect to."

She said it's time for wider Australia to embrace its indigenous identity.

"We are the oldest living culture in the world and I feel like it's important for people and regular Australians to embrace it. It's the nation's culture and it seems that it's always swept under the rug."

"And we want an apology, as simple as that."

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