When do we use the DHSV Acknowledgement of Country?
- The first speaker at any meeting performs the Acknowledgement of Country.
- Subsequent speakers may choose to acknowledge traditional owners; however this is a matter of personal preference and judgement in relation to the particular occasion.
When acknowledging at RDHM or within the City of Melbourne:
I acknowledge the First Australians on whose land we meet today, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, and pay my respect to their Elders past and present and the Elders of other Victorian Aboriginal communities, whose cultures we celebrate as among the oldest continuing cultures in human history.
When acknowledging elsewhere or if uncertain of the nation:
I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land we are meeting on today, and pay my respect to their Elders past and present and the Elders of other Victorian Aboriginal communities, whose cultures we celebrate as among the oldest continuing cultures in human history.
Add when an elder is present:
I would like to acknowledge that (name of elder) is with us here today.