Indigenous Culture

Canberra is Ngunnawal country and has been home to the Ngunnawal people for over 20,000 years. Our city’s name, ‘Canberra’, is thought to be derived from the Ngunnawal word for ‘meeting place,’ and the capital offers a range of indigenous experiences for your delegates to learn, share and participate in.

WELCOME TO COUNTRY

A Welcome to Country allows an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander custodian to welcome visitors to their land through speech, song, dance or ceremony. Recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, the nation’s First Peoples and custodians of the land, with welcome and acknowledgement protocols in your event.

EXHIBITIONS AND TOURS

Aboriginal Tent Embassy: Founded on Australia Day 1972, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy was set up by four Indigenous Australians – Michael Anderson, Billy Craigie, Tony Coorey and Bertie Williams – protesting the McMahon government’s approach to Indigenous land rights. Today, the embassy is permanently established on the lawns outside Old Parliament House and has come to represent Indigenous Australians’ quest for sovereignty and right to self-determination. Australian Parliament House: The ‘Yeribee’: Indigenous experiences of Parliament House tour shares the stories of our Indigenous parliamentarians and staff, explores the site history of Parliament House, and showcases significant artworks from the Parliament House Art Collection by celebrated Indigenous artists. Dhawura Aboriginal Cultural Tours: Travel back in time to become part of ‘The Dreaming’ and gain a deep understanding of Aboriginal culture with an experienced Aboriginal guide. Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD): Join a special tour, which considers aspects of the experiences of Indigenous Australians within our democracy at MoAD. Hear stories of how Indigenous Australians and their supporters have taken different pathways to bring about change, many of which led them here – the seat of Federal Parliament between 1927 and 1988. Bespoke tours can be arranged for a range of tour sizes with advance booking. National Arboretum Canberra: The Mununja Garden, shaped in a butterfly form, located in the Gallery of Gardens at the Arboretum tells a Dreamtime story from the Ngunnawal people that has been passed through generations for thousands of years. Ngala Tours, a new offering from the Arboretum, provides Indigenous tours and experiences including Discovery bus tours and immersive cultural experiences such as Walk on Country and Discover Art and Country tours. National Triangle: Take a self-guided tour through the artwork at Reconciliation Place. Located in the heart of the National Triangle, these artworks symbolically and physically place reconciliation at the heart of the nation. National Gallery of Australia: Immerse yourself in the most comprehensive Indigenous Australian Art Collection in the world or take an Indigenous Cultural Tour with a local Aboriginal tour guide. The 4th National Indigenous Art Triennial: Ceremony, running from 26 Mar – 31 Jul 2022, offers a program of events featuring 35 Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander artists. National Museum of Australia: First Australians and Talking Blak to History are permanent exhibition galleries that explore the shared stories and experiences of Australia’s first peoples. The museum’s First Australians Tour presents the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, their history, culture and connection to country in the building’s largest exhibition gallery. Opening in 2022, Great Southern Land is an exhibition of artefacts and unique Australian tales that will also tell the stories of the earliest Indigenous inhabitants and everyone who followed.