Welcome to Country heckled during Melbourne Anzac dawn service

Australian Community Media

Bunurong elder Mark Brown was booed during his Welcome to Country at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance.

Transcript

00:00I'm here to welcome everybody to my father's country. Beautiful Bunurang country.

00:07But before we do that, we pay our acknowledgements and we pay our respects.

00:16We pay our respects to all of my ancestors.

00:20We pay our respects to all of my elders and we pay respects to all of my community members.

00:26Past, present and emerging.

00:34And we acknowledge the continuous and unbroken connection to country for the Bunurang people.

00:40We also pay our acknowledgements and respects to all traditional custodians of Australia,

00:46Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander who work, rest, live or play on Bunurang country.

00:54We acknowledge their continuous and unbroken connection to country for all of their people.

01:01And we thank each and every single one of them for being here with us.

01:06But today, on the sacred lands of the Bunurang people,

01:11we all gather in the spirit of respect and unity.

01:15And this welcome, it's an opportunity.

01:21It's an opportunity for us to honour and respect the deep cultural heritage of the Bunurang people

01:28of the Kulin Nations, whose elders and community members have generously looked after these lands

01:36for countless generations. My people have a deep spiritual connection to these lands,

01:45encompassing all of our rivers, our mountains, our coastal areas,

01:53and all of our beautiful bushlands that surround us today.

01:56Our traditional territory spans from the Werribee River in the west,

02:02and moves to Digger's Rest in the north.

02:05We move over to the Dandenong Ranges, the Yarra Valleys, and down to Wilson's Prom.

02:14We encompass the top end of Tasmania, which we share with the beautiful Palawa people.

02:18French, Philip, King and Flinders Islands are also ours.

02:26These are the traditional lands and territories of the Bunurang people that I welcome everybody to today.

02:33And as I said, we have a deep spiritual connection to our lands.

02:40And we have a strong cultural identity tied to our ancestral plains.

02:44All of our stories, our traditions, our language, our culture, and Bunurang's law are interwoven

02:57with the very fabrics of the soils that surround us, reflecting my people's profound knowledge,

03:04knowledge, wisdoms, and ongoing custodianships to all of our ancient lands.

03:14And as we gather here today, we recognise that this welcome is a part of our shared journey.

03:24Shared journey of reconciliation.

03:25Shared journey of understanding.

03:30And by acknowledging and encompassing the deep ritual heritage of all of our people,

03:38we strive to foster mutual respect, cultural exchange, and a celebration of diversities.

03:47And so on behalf of all those gathered here today, I extend my heartfelt welcome to my people's country.

03:59May our time together be filled with reverence,

04:01learning, and a renewed commitment to honouring and cherishing the Bunurang people,

04:12and all the traditional custodians of this country.

04:15And for all those who do want to be here, you are welcome.

04:30We come with purpose.

04:32Welcome to beautiful Bunurang country.

04:45Thanks to profound

04:50Ryan

05:00Turns

05:02What is theuled

05:03And so we're gonna disassemble you now.

05:04Welcome.

05:05墓

05:07Many

05:08seek

05:11While

05:11keep

05:12się

Category

Transcript

Recommended