I have been working through a complaint I made to the Anti-discrimination Board when they sent me another of those letters with the words.
found on the internet, lost the link
“I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the Land and pay respect to Elders past and present.” along the bottom
I have included these lines in my reply.
” I do not recognize any traditional custodians. I give vague recognition and no respect whatsoever to my elders who are Northern Irish, Jewish, British and Welsh, Pict, Celt and to the mystics who handed me their traditions. I recognize their years of slavery and the loss of their homes through invasion and the centuries of bloodshed they endured before they were sent to the Australian continent as unwilling prisoners. I am an Australian and do not recognize special status based on past tribal situations. If I recognized past cruelties I would feel entitled to compensation from the United Kingdom, The Crusading Nations, and the French, Spanish, Moslem and Christian bodies to name a few. I am not proud to be an Australian as I had nothing to do with it. I am not proud to have European or Jewish heritage as that also was not my doing. As a mystic who was refused knowledge by tribal elders but initiated by other indigenous peoples in blood rituals I have as much connection to the spiritual Australia and dreaming as anyone alive. I am an artist who shares visions with the land.
I find it offensive that officers of government organizations raise special mentions of the tribal associations of a few members of the population in the documents they send me and while they are paid with my taxes