Indigenous elder hits out at Welcome to Countries being used 'before every meeting' arguing Aussies just tune out

By ASHLEY NICKEL, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 12:53, 1 June 2026 | Updated: 12:53, 1 June 2026 An Aboriginal leader has called for everyday Welcome to Country ceremonies to be replaced with more meaningful speeches at deserving events. Reconciliation Week has again brought the debate around Welcomes to Country to the forefront with Noongar leader Colleen Hayward saying the speeches become trivial and tokenistic when held in boardrooms every day. Instead, Ms Hayward told the ABC the ceremonies need to have real 'meaning' or risk losing their value overall. 'It's not necessary before every meeting,' she said. 'It is necessary before significant events and functions, and not just necessary, [because] I think it can enrich and really connect people to what they're there for. 'You want it to have meaning, you want it to be significant, and you want it to enrich people's lives in that process.' Welcome to Country speeches are often spoken at the beginning of events by a representative of the local Indigenous people to welcome everyone in attendance. While the Acknowledgement of Country is done when a representative isn't present. They do not refer to the country of Australia, but rather the area on which the event is taking place. They're a modern take on the traditional Indigenous practice of tribes welcoming each other to their land. Noongar leader Colleen Hayward (above) said Welcomes to Country risk losing their value when held 'before every meaning' One senior Larrakia elder said the welcome served two main purposes. Richard Fejo said they were used to avoid hostility through friendly greeting and to remind visitors to respect the local land and people. However, the age-old practice centred on connection has in recent years become a tired requirement in the eyes of many Australians. Thousands around the country have voiced their frustrations at half-hearted Welcomes to Country being used before everyday events, from starting school classes to small football matches. That exhaustion was on full display at this year's Anzac Day ceremonies with several Welcomes being booed by attendees. Melbourne's Anzac Day dawn service drew attention after crowd members yelled 'it's our country' and 'we don't have to be welcomed' at Bunurong elder Mark Brown. Yet the Welcomes to Country continue to hold significant meaning when held at large-scale events. Just hours after Mr Brown was booed for delivering his Welcome, almost 100,000 AFL fans stood to give a standing ovation to Uncle Colin Hunter Jr's Welcome at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Reactions to Welcomes to Country have become a mixed bag with Uncle Colin Hunter Jr (above) receiving a standing ovation for his Welcome at the AFL just hours after another at an Anzac Day dawn service was booed Ms Hayward said it was important for the Welcomes to be held at relevant events and in a way that connected with audiences. For example, when Welcoming attendees at WA Police graduation ceremonies she often mentions the local Indigenous slang word for police is 'manitj', the Noongar word for white cockatoo - a sacred animal. 'If Aboriginal people were denied the opportunity or not invited into the space to give a Welcome to Country it's almost an abyss,' Ms Hayward said.  'You're there without a connection. Welcomes connect.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.