Qantas changes Acknowledgment to Country

Qantas has changed the wording of its Acknowledgments of Country broadcast on its flights after consulting Indigenous leaders.

The airline has paid respects to Indigenous Elders ‘past, present and emerging’ on all its flights, but now its message will only say ‘past and present’.

It is believed the inclusion of the word ’emerging’ was felt by some to undermine the importance of Elders in the culture.

The first Aboriginal councillor of the City of Sydney, Yvonne Weldon, told NITV that ’emerging Elder’ was a presumptuous term.

“People have adopted ‘past, present and emerging’ without fully understanding cultural protocol, but with the intention of acknowledging the younger generations,” she said.

“In Wiradjuri law, recognition as an Elder is something that is conferred rather than assumed.”