Cultural safety and Acknowledgement of Country

Creating a culturally safe and inclusive event involves respecting the Traditional Custodians of the land and providing a welcoming space for First Peoples, as well as people from all cultural backgrounds.

Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners

An Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners is a formal recognition of the Traditional Owners of the land on which your event is held. In Boroondara, the Traditional Owners are the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people.

You are encouraged to:

• include a spoken Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners at the start of your event
• include a written Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners on your signage, program or event website.

Example

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this event takes place, the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people, and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We recognise their ongoing connection to land, waters and culture.

Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony 

For larger events or culturally significant occasions, you may choose to arrange a Welcome to Country. This is conducted by an Elder or authorised representative of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung community. 

These ceremonies can include singing, traditional dancing, smoking ceremonies or speeches and is a powerful way to show respect and acknowledge the ongoing spiritual, physical and cultural connection of Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people to their Country. 

A Smoking Ceremony may also be included alongside a Welcome to Country if it can be held in a suitable outdoor space. This is a traditional practice that uses smoke to cleanse and protect people and places, clear away bad spirits and promote wellbeing and positive energy. 

If you wish to organise a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony, contact the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation. Allow adequate time for booking and confirmation. An Elder or Wurundjeri representative will be allocated 7 days prior to your event date. 

Elders will bring all the materials they need to perform a ceremony – you do not need to supply anything for a Welcome to Country or Smoking Ceremony. Please ask the Elder or Wurundjeri representative when they arrive what title they prefer to be introduced by. 

• A Welcome to Country can take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes to complete.
• A Welcome to Country with a Smoking Ceremony can take between 5 to 20 minutes, depending on how many guests are in attendance.

When planning your event budget, consider the cultural significance of a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony. These are meaningful traditional practices that honour the Traditional Owners of the land. As a general guide, budget between $700 and $1200 for these ceremonies.

Cultural inclusion and safety

In addition to formal acknowledgements and ceremony, your event could:

• use a flag stand that holds the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.
• include signage at your event entrance recognising the Traditional Owners of the land.
• avoid stereotypes or imagery that could be offensive, and use inclusive, strengths-based language.
• discuss expectations early and ensure fair payment and recognition when engaging First Peoples artists, performers or organisations, 

Reflect diversity

Welcome and represent people from diverse cultural backgrounds in your event planning, programming and promotion. For support, contact us or Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation.