Combining Welcome to Country with Apology for Forced Adoptions

A Pathway to Healing and Unity

The decision by Melbourne Storm to reconsider the inclusion of a Welcome to Country acknowledgment has sparked important conversations about how sporting organizations engage with Australia’s shared history. This moment presents an opportunity not just for reflection but for deeper action. One possibility is to combine the Welcome to Country acknowledgment with an apology for forced adoptions, creating a unified gesture that honours both cultural sovereignty and reconciliation.

Acknowledging the Welcome to Country

The Welcome to Country is a time-honoured cultural practice conducted by Aboriginal Elders to welcome others onto their land. This practice reflects respect for the sovereignty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, whose custodianship of the land stretches back tens of thousands of years. Recognizing this tradition at sporting events and public gatherings highlights the connection between land, culture, and identity, as well as the resilience of First Nations peoples.

Reflecting on Forced Adoptions

In 2013, the Australian government issued a national apology for forced adoption practices. Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, alongside non-Indigenous Australians, suffered profoundly under these policies. For Indigenous families, forced adoptions were often an extension of policies like the Stolen Generations, further dismantling familial and cultural bonds. An acknowledgment of this history is essential for promoting healing and fostering a shared understanding of Australia’s past.

Why Combine the Two?

While the Welcome to Country and the forced adoption apology address distinct aspects of Australia’s history, they are united by their focus on recognition, respect, and reconciliation. Combining these elements at key events – like NRL games – could:

1. Deepen Engagement: Encourage meaningful reflection on Australia’s history, moving beyond tokenistic gestures to active participation in reconciliation.

2. Foster Unity: Recognize the shared responsibility of all Australians to learn, acknowledge, and heal from the past.

3. Reinforce Commitment: Signal that sporting organizations are leaders in promoting respect and social justice, resonating with diverse audiences.

A Unified Statement of Recognition

An integrated acknowledgment could begin with a Welcome to Country, honouring the Traditional Owners of the land, followed by a statement reflecting on the harm caused by forced adoptions. It would serve as a dual acknowledgment of cultural resilience and historical injustices, encouraging ongoing dialogue and reconciliation.

Moving Forward

By combining these two acknowledgments, the NRL and its clubs have the opportunity to lead a national conversation about healing and unity. It’s not just about symbolic gestures; it’s about embedding reconciliation into the fabric of Australian sport and society.

Sporting organizations have the power to set the tone for meaningful change. Through thoughtful acknowledgment of the past, they can contribute to building a more inclusive and understanding future.

Proposed Joint Acknowledgment Statement:

“Today, we begin by honoring the Traditional Owners of the land on which we gather, the [specific Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander group, if known]. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging, and recognize their ongoing connection to this land, which was never ceded. The cultural practices, knowledge systems, and stories of this land’s First Peoples have endured for tens of thousands of years, and it is a privilege to walk alongside them in this spirit of respect and shared history.

We also take this moment to reflect on another chapter of our shared history – the forced removal of children from their families through government policies and practices. These policies caused profound grief and loss for mothers, children, and families across Australia, with impacts that extended across both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, these removals were a continuation of racial separation and assimilation practices that sought to erase culture, identity, and family connections. For mothers of all backgrounds, the experience of being separated from their children – whether by force, stigma, or coercion – created a legacy of trauma that echoes through generations.

Today, we acknowledge the pain and resilience of mothers and children who were denied the right to stay together and to share in the bonds of family and belonging. We recognize the enduring harm caused by these practices and the healing still needed within families and communities across Australia.

As we stand together today, we honor these histories and affirm our shared responsibility to listen, learn, and act. Through truth-telling, respect, and reconciliation, we commit to building a more inclusive, compassionate, and united future, where no child or parent experiences such loss again.”

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Learning from others

The experiences shared by those directly impacted by forced removals reveal how deeply entrenched these injustices remain. As one Indigenous advocate highlighted, systemic racism and intergenerational trauma continue to be perpetuated by welfare systems and political leaders who resist genuine accountability. Politicians often hide behind symbolic gestures, like apologies or Welcome to Country ceremonies, while failing to address the structures that caused – and still cause – such harm.

Forced removals didn’t just target Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families but extended across cultures, targeting the most vulnerable under the guise of welfare or assimilation. Yet, the systems that criminalize families through welfare records, foster care, and labeling remain largely intact, passing trauma from one generation to the next.

Unity is essential. As this advocate pointed out, Forgotten Australians and Stolen Generations have long worked together to fight for justice, and dividing these movements risks undermining the progress they’ve made. Collective action and solidarity are our strongest tools for dismantling the systemic racism and classism at the root of these policies.

Reconciliation must go beyond surface-level acknowledgments. It demands systemic reform, transparency, and accountability from leaders who have profited politically from these stories without delivering the change they promised. As the advocate said, “Togetherness has worked… together, many of our past front-runners have passed on, and those that can share the knowledge and unity, the future, the better chance we have.”

It’s time for all of us – individuals, communities, and leaders – to listen to these voices and take real action to ensure that no family is torn apart again.