An indigenous community has banned Welcome to the Countries because the ceremonies are “shameful” and “abused.”
The Juru people of the Burdekin in northern Queensland voted on Thursday to ban welcoming countries to their ancestral land.
Juru spokesperson Randall Ross told 4BC Mornings that “the elders have had enough” of the commercialization of the traditional ceremony.
“The problem is there are people who are not connected to the Burdekin area who are still doing Welcome to Countries and I know they are getting money as part of this,” Mr Ross told 4BC host Bill McDonald.
‘We only speak for our country, which is why it is important that we can see well and truly how it is abused and why it makes us feel ashamed.
“There are poor organizations that are trapped in that situation and have to pay, whether for a five, two or ten minute service.”
“The elders are already fed up because it is being abused and they want to put an end to it.”
Ross said that although Welcome to Country should be non-profit, the community still has a social responsibility to protect its land.
Juru spokesperson Randall Ross (pictured) said Welcome to the Countries had become “commercialized” and was “embarrassing” to its indigenous community.
Burdekin Shire Council Mayor Pierina Dalle Cort said the decision was an “early Christmas present” for many people.
“I’ve already gotten some responses from people saying things like, basically, common sense has finally prevailed,” he told courier mail.
‘I can’t get into a political nightmare, but all I can say is that I’m happy to be working with the traditional owners. We are multicultural, we are one country and we all have to learn to live and work together.’
Indigenous leader Warren Mundine also welcomed the decision, saying the Welcome to Country decisions are causing “anger and division”.
“There are people who perform these ceremonies who are not from the area or who just want to make a quick buck,” he said.
“The point is, it’s meant to be a welcome, but some people are abusing it by charging millions of dollars for it or going up there and making a political speech, telling everyone to go back to where they came from.
The modern form of Welcome to Country was developed in 1976 by Dr Richard Walley’s Middar Aboriginal theater group, after Māori and Cook Islands visitors to the Perth Arts Festival requested a ceremonial welcome.
The musician, dancer and writer invoked a blessing in the local language, sang a Nyoongar song celebrating their lands and the group performed a ceremonial dance, all of which were a huge success and struck a chord with the indigenous community.
Elders of the Juru people of Burdekin in Queensland voted to ban Welcome to Country ceremonies on their ancestral land on Thursday (pictured showing a Welcome to Country in Perth)
It was subsequently adopted by the Northern Territory Tourism Board and the Australian Tourism Commission and gained a global platform when it was included in the Miss Universe beauty pageant held in Perth in 1979.
The ceremonies have since become a regular feature of public events in Australia and are held before sporting games, meetings, festivals and awards ceremonies.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mayor Dalle Cort for comment.