Traditional Aboriginal welcome
Welcome to country from Kim Collard, local Nyungar representative.
A welcome to country ceremony is a traditional Aboriginal blessing, symbolising the traditional owners' consent to an event taking place on their land. Curtin acknowledges the Nyungar people as the traditional owners of the land on which our main campus is sited and a welcome to country is performed at all major Curtin public events.
Display the video transcript below.
Good morning ladies and gentlemen,
My name is Kim Collard and I've been asked to perform a traditional Nyungar ceremony of welcoming everybody to country this morning. I'd like to first of all start by beginning to acknowledge the Curtin University of Technology for adhering to the correct protocol and that is to acknowledge and recognise the traditional custodians of this area of which this university campus sits upon.
(Mr Collard's welcome in traditional Nyungar)
(English translation:) Good morning ladies and gentlemen, my name is Kim Collard and I am a Nyungar man.
We are all sitting on Nyungar land.
My ancestors, my grandmothers, my grandfathers they're very, very happy to see many non-Aboriginal men and women come to this place to sit, listen and to think on Nyungar country.
My grandmothers, my grandfathers, their feet have travelled this land for many, many thousands of years from the beginning, and it's the tracks of my ancestors that I follow.
My ancestors, my grandmothers, my grandfathers their spirit - they look over you and protect you like an eagle whilst you are on Nyungar land.
Welcome, welcome to Nyungar Land.
Welcome to Nyungar land - thank you very much.
In this video, the welcome to country is performed by Kim Collard, a local Nyungar representative, and is performed in both Nyungar and English.
We would like to thank Kim and the Nyungar people for allowing us to use this traditional welcome.
