Welcome to Country is a ceremony performed by Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Elders, or  traditional Owners who have been given permission to welcome visitors onto their traditional land. Protocols for welcoming visitors to country have been part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures for thousands of years. Traditionally, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups had clear boundaries separating their Country from that of other groups.
Crossing into another group’s Country required a request for permission to enter. When permission was granted, the hosting group would welcome the visitors, offering them safe passage and protection of their spiritual being during the journey. While visitors were
provided with a safe passage, they also had to respect the protocols and rules of the land owner group while on their Country.

Today, these protocols have been adapted to fit with contemporary life. However, the essential elements of welcoming visitors and offering safe passage remain in place. A Welcome to Country occurs at the beginning of a formal event, and can take many forms, including singing, dancing, smoking ceremonies, or a speech in traditional language and/or English.

An Acknowledgement of Country is an opportunity for anyone to show respect for
Australia’s Traditional Owners, and the continuing connection that Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples have to the land, sea, sky and waterways.

An Acknowledgement of Country can be performed by an Indigenous or non-Indigenous person, and is generally offered at the beginning of a meeting, speech or formal occasion. There are no set protocols or phrasing for an Acknowledgement of Country. Below are two examples:

General: I begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet today, and pay my respects to Elders past and present.

Specific: I begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which we
meet today, the [Traditional Owners] of the [nation], and pay my respects to Elders past
and present.
Note: If possible, and if you are unsure of phrasing or specific details, it is
recommended that you contact your local Traditional Owners for information.

This is Dustin Curry from Butchula Country giving his perspectives on welcome to his country.