There is already a tradition in practice for acknowledging Country.
I have heard it used (and used it myself) numerous times at events of all
kinds which I have attended.
It is much more specific:
It usually goes something like this in Melbourne:
I acknowledge and give my respect and thanks to
the Wurendjerri (clan) of the Woiwurrong language group in the Kulin Nation.
(The Kulin Nation was/is a confederacy of allied language groups in the
greater Port Phillip Bay area)
I don't think it is completely appropriate make a general acknowledgement to
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in general.
In the traditional Law of indigenous Australians one always paid respect to
and asked permission from the custodians of the land you were standing on.
Not some amorphous and artificial entity.
I think it is important that if people want to make an acknowledgement they
at least find out who the traditional custodians of their area are and the
appropriate way to address them.
Otherwise people could adopt the formula of thanking the Aboriginal people
in general whilst remaining ignorant about the reality of the local
indigenous land they are on.
We need to avoid shallow gestures which salve the conscience of
whitefellas yet do little to change the ignorance (ignoring) of traditional
Law.
------------------------------------------------------
RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at
http://www.mail-archive.com/
To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body
of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce
This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission
from the
copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under
the "fair
use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further
without
permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use."
RecOzNet2 is archived for members @
http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/
