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Kaur na miyur na, Kaur na yarta, ngadlu tampinthi

Adelaide Fringe recognises the importance of performing an Acknowledgement of Country and encourages you to have one at your Fringe event. 

Table of contents

What is an Acknowledgement of Country?

An Acknowledgement of Country is a way to show respect to Traditional Owners, and acknowledge the continuing connection to Country for First Nations peoples. It is different to a Welcome to Country, which is a ceremony given by Traditional Custonians of the land.

Who can perform an Acknowledgement of Country?

Acknowledgements are often made at the start of an event and/or performance, and can be made by anybody - First Nations or non-First Nations people. An Acknowledgement of Country will speak to the unique position of First Nations people in the context of culture and history, and recognise this enduring connection with the land, and waters.

If you want to engage with a Traditional Owner to perform a Welcome to Country you can read our how to resource here.

How to perform an Acknowledgement of Country

It is recommended to do some research on the Country you are acknowledging, there are over 200 First Nations (or language groups) in Australia today. You can use the AIATSIS map to find the Nation or language group where you live. For more detailed information, you can contact the Traditional Owners in your area, or local council to consult with.

There are many ways to make an Acknowledgement of Country. It can be spoken, written, or signed (Auslan - sign language). The words can vary and you should feel empowered to create an Acknowledgement in a way that is personal and specific to place. Speaking from the heart, and in your own words is a powerful way to demonstrate allyship.

You may also wish to include a sentence about how First Nations sovereignty was never ceded. This demonstrates an awareness of the rights of First Nations people to lands and waters of Australia, and that these rights were never ‘given up’. This statement voices the genocide and dispossession of First Nations people in the foundation of Australia.

Where to find more information

Head to Reconciliation SA to find out more about Acknowledgements of Country and examples of how to give one. Or download a pre-recorded Acknowledgement of Country to play at the commencement of each of your events below.

Adelaide Fringe recognises that using traditional First Nations names for places both acknowledges and celebrates the connection between First Nations people and the land. It is a step towards acknowledging First Nations sovereignty and is a way to strengthen and regenerate First Languages. 

We list traditional place names under all registered events on our website. You can find more information about that here.

Acknowledgement checklist

☐ Name and acknowledge the specific Country/Nation/language group.

☐ Identify the Traditional Custodians/Owners and their continued connection to their land/s.

☐ Thank the Traditional Custodians/Owners for caring for Country for more than two thousands generations.

☐ Make your Acknowledgement specific to place: are you on desert Country? Are you on an island? Are there any sacred sites with traditional names you can mention?

☐ Pay respect to the Elders and Ancestors of the Country you are on, and also to any First Nations people present/listening.

☐ Recognise that First Nations sovereignty was never ceded. This continent always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

Pre-recorded Acknowledgements you can use

Are you on Kaurna Country?

Adelaide Fringe, together with Jack Buckskin of Kuma Kaaru and Taylor Tipu Power-Smith, have created two Acknowledgement of Country audio recordings that we encourage you to download and play at the commencement of each of your performances this Adelaide Fringe.

Adelaide Fringe recommends that all events and venues acknowledge the land's traditional custodians and respect their  ongoing spiritual and cultural connection to country. For events and venues in Adelaide, the tradtional custodians are the Kaurna people, whose ancestral lands we gather on. Download one or both recordings below. 

Jack Buckskin Acknowledgement of Country (male voice)

Taylor Tipu Power-Smith Acknowledgement of Country (female voice)

 

Image Credit: WARRIPARINGA WAY Featuring: Archie Roach, The Yabu Band. Photo: Kinsern Yen, 2022