Traditions of courtesy and respect important in ‘Welcome to Country’

Participants in a ‘yarning circle’ on Thursday last week, a morning tea event to focus on Aboriginal and non Aboriginal reconciliation, left the meeting with a greater understanding of cultural issues important to the Aboriginal community.

Traditional protocols, cultural practices, customs and courtesies handed down over many generations are all significant and traditionally observed.

‘Acknowledgement’ and ‘Welcome to Country’ rituals were key topics.

The Reconciliation morning tea was a Narrabri Shire Council initiative.

Narrabri Shire Council Aboriginal liaison officer Sharlee Bruce opened the event with a Welcome to Country, and introduced Elder Ed Trindall and Lynn Trindall who began the meeting with a change to the seating configuration.

Participants seated in rows were asked to form a circle, a traditional ‘yarning circle’. Yarning circles have been used across Aboriginal communities for thousands of years for storytelling, sharing knowledge, safeguarding beliefs and culture, and problem solving.

Reconciliation was the theme, supported by the belief that understanding by non Aboriginals of Aboriginal cultural practices would help remove barriers.

“Reconciliation is about strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non Aboriginal people for the benefit of all Australians,” Mrs Trindall said.

Much information was imparted by Mr Trindall in a dialogue with Lynn Trindall who asked him to explain to the group some of the traditions and practices which are integral to Aboriginal culture.

During the conversation, Mrs Trindall noted that the term ‘indigenous’ was not favoured, ‘Aboriginal’ was the preferred terminology.

The conversation was informative and interesting and pointed to the value of more similar informal dialogues at local community levels.

Mr Trindall spoke of the boundaries observed by Aboriginal communities.

“These are not lines on a map,” he said.

“The boundaries are the rivers, creeks, mountains and land features. To cross boundaries or enter neighbouring country you need permission.”

The permission was embodied in the ‘Welcome to Country’ essentially a recognition that you are entering someone else’s area and is fundamentally a basic courtesy, similar to being invited into someone’s home.

Mr Trindall explained he was a traditional custodian and direct descendant of the Gomeroi-Narrabri people.

He welcomed attendees to the meeting on behalf of his people.

Mrs Trindall, he said, is a descendant from Bigambul people in the Goondiwindi area.

Respect for the older generation of the Aboriginal and wider communities was a basic courtesy.

“We grew up calling older people ‘Mr’ and ‘Mrs’ regardless of how well we knew them,” Mr Trindall said.

“Today we respect the older generation of the Aboriginal community by calling them ‘Aunty’ or ‘ Uncle’, even if not related.”

‘Acknowledgement of Country’ was a recognition of the original custodians of the land, which is performed by Aboriginal or non Aboriginal people and the ‘Welcome to Country’ involves the ongoing custodians formally welcoming people onto their land, and is made by Aboriginal Elders.

Age is not a determinant of recognition as an Elder – young people can be Elders, they earn the status though receiving information, the knowledge around culture and understanding of country which is passed on to them.

The conversation at the Reconciliation event recalled that in very recent history there were restrictions on Aboriginal engagement with the non Aboriginal community that today’s generations would find extraordinary.

The restrictions covered Aboriginals’ ability to live within the town boundaries, when they could shop in town at certain times and when they had to be out of town which was after dark.

It was against the law to teach young Aboriginals their own language.

The Reconciliation morning tea was a valuable opportunity to learn more about the importance of the Acknowledgement and Welcome to Country rituals, but also introduced participants to a world of knowledge of which many were unaware.

More such get togethers would be invaluable in the ongoing reconciliation process.

Narrabri Shire mayor Darrell Tiemens, Cr Cathy Redding and Cr Lisa Richardson attended the morning tea.

Cr Tiemens thanked Mr and Mrs Trindall and the event organisers on behalf of the shire.

“There are issues still to be addressed on this journey but I am thankful we have a united and coherent community,” he said.

“We are very much committed to the process of reconciliation.”