Two thousand generations of place-making

The relationship between Aboriginal people and any critical discourse of place that is sponsored by Academe is an uneasy one. Where a ‘Welcome to Country’ is increasingly anticipated from an Aboriginal person, it becomes increasingly important to question the role of these ceremonial, often perfunctory gestures. Do they belie something more sinister – or at best obsequious? What does the demand for this ceremony tell us about our desire for renewal? What can Aborigines tell us? What has been lost – and what can be gained?