As Zakirrah’s mother Jojo explains, standing on this cracked earth, Zakirrah might be the youngest person to deliver official Welcome to Country speeches in Australia. A Traditional Owner of Normanton, she began this important role at just 7 and is now 9 years old.
“Welcome to Country is an ancient tradition, once practiced when traveling between Nations. Visitors would signal at the border with smoke and wait for warriors to escort them to the Elders. The Elders, through ceremony, sought the ancestors’ blessing, and once welcomed, the entire Nation took responsibility for the visitor’s care and safety.
It was also a way for Nations to welcome and acknowledge each other’s traditional lands, marking rites of passage, exchanging, bartering, celebrating and welcoming. Through ceremony, these shared practices strengthened the connections between people and reinforced respect for the land and is custodians.
Today, this practice continues as a sign of respect for the land, its Traditional Custodians, and the enduring connection First Nations peoples have to Country.
It acknowledges the ancestors and reinforces the responsibility of communities to care for one another and their shared environment.”
Words by Jojo, Zakirrah’s mother.