Welcome to Country
Welcome to Country
A Welcome to Country Ceremony has been a traditional custom for many thousands of years. Protocols for welcoming visitors to Country have always been a part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures with boundaries being clear, and where crossing into another group’s Country required a request for permission to enter. The Welcome to Country is a ceremony to grant permission to enter country and offer safe passage and protection for journeying visitors. It also included guides and protocols for visitors to follow when on country.
Today, while these protocols have been adapted to contemporary circumstances, the essential elements remain: welcoming visitors and respect for Country.
Welcome to Country is delivered by Traditional Owners to welcome visitors to their Country. Welcome to Country occurs at the beginning of a formal event and can take many forms including singing, dancing, smoking ceremonies, and/or a speech.
Ngalak Nidja work with a number of respected Noongar Elders who perform Welcome to Country here in Noongar country. Additionally, Jayden Boundry also has the knowledge, experience and cultural permissions from his family to conduct Welcome to Country here in Noongar boodja.
Send us an enquiry if you would like to organise a Welcome to Country.
Acknowledgement of Country
Acknowledgement of Country
An Acknowledgement of Country is an opportunity for anyone to show respect for Traditional Owners and the continuing connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to Country. An Acknowledgement of Country can be offered by any person and like a Welcome to Country, is given at the beginning of a meeting, speech or event.
When a Welcome to Country is not able to be performed, our cultural facilitators offer a meaningful Acknowledgement of Country in Noongar language. This is a respectful way to show that you acknowledge the Noongar people and the beautiful culture that they belong to. Additionally, Ngalak Nidja can support you to develop a culturally appropriate Acknowledgement for your organisation to use on an ongoing basis.
Contact us today to discuss further.
Acknowledgement of Country
Ngalak Nidja acknowledges and pays respect to the Wadjak people of the Noongar nation and to their Elders of the past and present as the Traditional Custodians of the Country on which we live and work.
We also acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to their lands, waters and communities. We pay our respects to them, their cultures and to their Elders both past and present.