The Juru people of the Burdekin have voted to ban Welcome to Country ceremonies on their ancestral land because they find the ceremony embarrassing.
Locals have also raised concerns about how the tradition has been commercialised.
The decision, made by the Juru elders on Thursday night, follows fears that people without ancestral ties to the Burdekin were profiting from the ceremonies, the Courier Mail reported.
“The elders have had enough,” spokesman Randall Ross said on 4BC Mornings with Bill McDonald.
“It is being abused and they want to put a stop to it.”
While the elders remain committed to protecting their land, Mr. Ross explained that the Welcome to Country process had become a business that many were uncomfortable with due to money being made by those who were not connected to the land in any meaningful way.
Burdekin Mayor Pierina Dalle Cort also welcomed the decision.
“I can’t get into a political nightmare here but all I can say is I’m happy to work with the traditional owners,” she said via the Newscorp masthead.
“We had the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ vote (Voice referendum) and that vote should have been listened to at that time as well. We’re multicultural, we’re one country and we’ve all got to learn to live and work together.
