2020 is a unique and special year for all of us to remember in many ways. It will be well documented in history for our future generations. History is a study of past events, and plays a vital role in helping everyone understand how this nation’s story began. NAIDOC Week 2020 invites all Australians to embrace the true history of this country – a history which dates back thousands of generations. This year’s theme: Always Was, Always Will Be recognises that First Nations peoples have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years.
Acknowledgement of Country
The Acknowledgement of Country is a step forward from the 1992 Mabo case in Australia. In the Mabo case, the High Court of Australia recognised native title and abolished the notion of terra nullius in Australia. Terra nullius is a Latin term meaning “land belonging to no one”. This is a significant recognition of the Indigenous people’s claims to the land in Australia.
The importance of the Acknowledgement of Country is perfectly summarised on the Common Ground’s website which is quoted below. Common Ground is an Aboriginal-led not for profit organisation that work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia to capture and share stories, and create learning material for wider Australia.
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have experienced significant exclusion from Australian society since colonisation. Also, many non-Indigenous Australians have not had the opportunity to learn about and celebrate the rich cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This has contributed to the disparity between First Nations and non-Indigenous Australians that persists today.
Acknowledging First Nations people at the start of a gathering is a small way to respect the Traditional Owners of Country. It is a sign of respect to First Nations people and cultures. It is also a great way to promote awareness of First Nations cultures and issues amongst wider groups of people. Increasing awareness will help us build a more united Australia, that celebrates and embraces our First Australians.”
Playing a Part
As more people become aware of the importance of recognising and respecting the First Nations people and cultures, we believe that we should play a part in promoting awareness of First Nations cultures and issues amongst wider groups of people including new migrants, by displaying the Acknowledgement of Country on our website, particularly as a law firm specialising in Australian immigration law.
The Acknowledgement of Country is displayed in both English and Chinese on our website as follows:
We would like to extend our gratitude to Reconciliation Australia for providing useful information and guidance to us in relation to the Acknowledgement of Country.
For those who wish to know more about the Acknowledgement of Country, you may also find useful information published on the Common Ground and Indigenous.gov.au websites.
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