Welcome or acknowledgment to country?

It seems two of our local councils have finally bitten a bullet and removed the "acknowledgment" from their proceedings. This is not a "welcome". Let me explain.

There are two different things here. A "welcome to country" is something which was used  by some indigenous tribes to allow other tribes to enter or pass through the land they considered to be theirs. It has been taken over by our national airline and others in a cringe worthy was to welcome visitors. My friend M... believes this practice should be stopped. As an indigenous man he holds that it is an indigenous practice which cannot and should not be used by others as if it their own. If you want to say, "Welcome to Downunder. We hope you enjoy your time here" that would be just fine with him. He just doesn't want it turned into some sort of pseudo-cultural event. It is rather like taking a religious ceremony from one major religion and using it in another in his view.

And then there is the "acknowledgment". Some of us hear this multiple times a day in multiple places. It appears on official documents, on websites and other places. We "acknowledge" that the land we are on is the land which belongs to "X" tribe and "the elders past, present and emerging".  I have attended meetings, stayed in the room for another meeting with all but one of the same people and had the person leading the meeting repeat the words twice. It is said before other meetings I attend. It was even said at the start of a meeting in a group house for people with disabilities...because one of the carers has said it must be said.

Yes, it has reached a point where people are tired of hearing it. They have come to believe it means nothing, they are simply words which "must" be said. It is an embarrassment to be rushed through.  It has ceased to have any meaning, if it ever had any in some situations.

So two of our councils have abolished it. They will no longer say an acknowledgment at the beginning of council meetings. One council never began the practice but all others did. Our local council is not likely to abolish it any time soon. The present mayor would not allow that to happen.

But perhaps it should be abolished except for very special occasions. I can see it being relevant, appropriate and good manners in some situations. Indeed if I were to go to a meeting on the APY lands and a non-indigenous person was for some reason running it I would expect that person to acknowledge the fact we were meeting there. I do not expect to go to a meeting about rubbish collection and have an acknowledgment there. I do not expect to attend a meeting at a local school about an activity there and have an acknowledgment there.  

It seems many people agree with me. Waiting for someone to get back to me I read the comments following an on line article about one council's removal of the acknowledgment. In over one hundred responses there was just one strongly in support of retaining the words and three who thought "may be on special occasions". Perhaps those in support simply didn't read that article but the site is usually filled with a fair number of people on either side of issues. 

It seems people are tired of these things. We have done it too often. Had we kept it for rare and very special occasions it could have had real meaning. That makes me feel rather disappointed.