Obama’s visit was tarnished because an Indigenous elder is AXED from WELCOME TO THE COUNTRY The former president flies to Melbourne on a private jet: ‘I’ve never been treated or spoken to like this’
- Wurundjeri Elder Joy Murphy, 78, was ruled out of the event
- She was scheduled to perform “Welcome to the Country” for the Obamas
- The organizers removed it and claimed it was “difficult”
An Indigenous elder who welcomed the likes of Nelson Mandela, Queen Elizabeth II and the Dalai Lama has revealed she was left out of Barack Obama’s Melbourne event after organizers said she was “too tough”.
Wurundjeri Elder Joy Murphy, 78, was set to perform the country welcome ceremony at the former US president’s address in Melbourne on Thursday night.
Before the event, she asked the organizers if she could bring a support person and a cultural gift for the Obamas.
However, the shocked old woman says she was then told she was “too tough” by the organizers, Growth College, who removed her from the event.
The spat comes as Obama and his wife, Michelle, arrive in Melbourne on a private jet, with the couple sipping coffee as they board their motorcade.
Aunt Joy said in a statement that she was never treated or spoken to in this way.
“I was shocked and saddened by the way the organizers of the event treated me,” she said.
I am 78 years old. I have never been treated or spoken to this way in the past.
Wurundjeri Elder Joy Murphy, 78, is set to perform a welcome backcountry party for Barack Obama’s event
The spat comes as Obama and his wife, Michelle, arrive in Melbourne on a private jet
I don’t want this to be a reflection on President Obama. I am the leader of a nation and a rundjerry. I asked to be treated as an equal.
The Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung Cultural Heritage Foundation also criticized the organizers calling their actions “a deep insult to the Wurundjeri people and all First Nations people”.
“Welcome to the Qatari Protocols are our traditional laws and practices that have been used to welcome and provide protection to our guests on the lands of Rundjiri for thousands of years,” a statement said.
My Aunt Joy Murphy welcomed dignitaries at the highest level to Wurundjeri Country, including the Queen, Nelson Mandela, and the Dalai Lama.
“She has had the honor and responsibility as the chief Aboriginal elder of the Worundagiri people to welcome people to our country for over 40 years.”
The former US president met former Secretary of State Julie Bishop in Sydney on Tuesday. Another 10,000 people are expected to attend the Melbourne event on Wednesday
The Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung Cultural Heritage Foundation described the incident as “a deep insult to the Wurundjeri people and all First Nations peoples.”
Former US President Barack Obama (center) waves to onlookers after leaving the Bathers Suite in Balmoral, Sydney
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the College of Growth for comment.
Wednesday’s speech is Obama’s second in the country, after he addressed a losing crowd in Sydney on Tuesday night.
Those who wanted to hear Obama speak had to dig deep into their pockets to get a ticket, with regular entry priced at just under $200.
The event’s ‘Platinum Package’, which cost $895, included a one-hour welcome cocktail at the party drinks, a commemorative lanyard and an autographed copy of Obama’s memoir, A Promised Land.
With an additional 10,500 people to see Obama speak at the Melbourne event on Wednesday, it could be a million-dollar payday.
