ACKNOWLEDGING
COUNTRY

 

An acknowledgement of country is an extension of an Aboriginal custom, where visitors to a country, pay their respects. It's a way of saying "Hello, I would like to pay my respects to your elders, and to your relationship with this land." It also has political meaning: it acknowledges Aboriginal land rights and sovereignty.

We begin each class and event with an acknowledgement of country. This usually sounds like:

 

I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land that I'm dancing on, the Boon Wurrung people of the Kulun nation.

I'd like to honour their elders past and present, and their enduring connection to the land, water, and air.

Why do we do an acknowledgement of country in our projects and events?

We have made a commitment to honour tradition bearers and the history of Black culture. For many lindy hoppers, this is about Black American dance and culture. In Australia, a continent colonised by British invaders, we feel it is also about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and traditions of the places where we live and work.

It's about respect, and humility. We do not own this land or these dances. We are visitors.

Who gives an acknowledgement of country?

Anyone can give an acknowledgement of country. It's a good thing to do if you're teaching a class, if you're DJing a party, or if you're playing in a band. Even if it's not your event. It's polite and respectful. But the format is important; you'll need to know some things.

Whose country are you on?

The coloniser boundaries of states and cities do not match up with historic Aboriginal boundaries. For example, the city of Melbourne covers more than one territory. The best way to find out where you are standing, is to ask someone. Why not begin with the AITSIS map?

If you're travelling overseas or interstate, it's important to find out whose country you are standing on, and who you are talking to. Thomas DeFrantz (who is a Black American dancer based in the USA) conducted a beautiful acknowledgement of country at the beginning of his session with Collective Voices for Change.

Sovereignty, land rights, and identity

We have chosen to use particular terms at 1929 Studios to show our support for the land rights activism of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

Unceded lands: this is another way of saying that land or country was not given up, or yielded to someone else. The Aboriginal people of a country did not concede defeat to white colonisers.

Sovereign lands: When we say a country is sovereign land, we are recognising the prior occupation and custodianship of Australia by First Nations people. This is especially important in Australia, where our government (at all levels within the nation, and within the British commonwealth) has not formed a treaty with any Aboriginal nation or people, and has refused to amend our constitution to reflect Aboriginal sovereignty.

You might include this sentiment in your acknowledgement, saying

I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land that I'm dancing on, the Boon Wurrung people of the Kulun nation.

I recognise that these are unceded, sovereign lands.

I would like to honour their elders of these peoples, past and present, and their enduring connection to the land, water, and air.

Why do we pay special respect to elders?

Elders are important people, carrying knowledge, experience, and special relationships. They carry knowledge about how to care for country (eg right-way burns), how to conduct ceremony and important occasions, and about family and kin relationships. They have the authority to speak for others, and to give permission for the performance or sharing of dances, stories, and other arts.

There is a trend to say 'elders past, present, and emerging' in non-Aboriginal contexts, but this is not appropriate. Instead we say 'elders past and present.'

 

Jazz dance elders and tradition bearers

In the jazz dance world, we also pay respect to elders. We acknowledge the Black history and culture of these dances because we want to make amends for past neglect and racism, and because we want to show our respect for Black elders from history, and living Black dancers.

LaTasha Barnes has given us the term 'tradition bearers' as a useful way to describe the role of Black dancers in modern lindy hop and jazz dance culture.

It is best not to mix up Black jazz dance elders with your acknowledgement of country. These are two separate issues. Your introduction to an event might sound like:

Hello, and welcome! I would like to begin by paying my respects.

I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land that I'm dancing on, the Boon Wurrung people of the Kulun nation. I recognise that these are unceded, sovereign lands. I'd like to honour their elders past and present, and their enduring connection to the land, water, and air.

I would also like to recognise that jazz dances and music are the legacy and product of Black American cultures and communities, and I'd like to pay my respects to their elders living and past, and to their tradition bearers.

And finally, thank you to the people running this event, and joining us on the dance floor. It is my pleasure and honour to be here.

We have found that this type of introduction starts the event off with a really good feeling of honour and respect. It feels good to be polite and respectful. It feels powerful to be connected with the past, and excited about the future.

What if you make a mistake?

We all make mistakes. But knowing how to respond to correction, and to our own mistakes, is part of being a jazz dancer. We listen, we correct ourselves, we continue. Learning is one of the greatest privileges and pleasures of dance.

Begin with an attitude of respect and politeness. Learn as much as you can. Acknowledge your errors straight away, and then, as the National Sorry Day line goes, "Sorry means you don't do it again."

References

Credits

Ramona Staffeld has been leading the 1929 Studios’ movement towards acknowledging country, and is passionate about taking time to be grateful for the gifts of elders, and working for justice in our community.

This content of this page is copyright Sam Carroll, and is used by 1929 Studios with permission.

1929 Studios believes in paying the rent by donating to organisations like Pay The Rent, and the Black Lindy Hoppers Fund.