First Nations | Migrants | Opinion

We can never have too much recognition of country and belonging

Melinda Collinson
May 28, 2026

We’ve heard a lot of commentary recently about the appropriateness of welcome to country ceremonies or recognitions.

The competing narratives talk about when, how often and where these recognitions should take place.

As we celebrate Reconciliation Week, as well as the Islamic festival of Eid, it is worth taking a moment to think about this.

Recognising bonds to country is particularly important to us at AMES Australia because we work to support both indigenous and refugee and migrant communities.

Many of our colleagues and the people and communities we work with have been forced to leave the lands of their ancestors and so we understand the important connections that exist between land, culture and identity. This ancestry is shared through language, stories, song and dance.

And we have learned from hands-on experience working with both communities that immigrant and Indigenous people often share profound bonds around things like parallel experiences of displacement and cultural marginalisation; as well as barriers to their aspirations around education and employment.

We’ve seen these groups increasingly act as natural allies in advocating for human rights, land sovereignty, and social inclusion.

This has happened most successfully and impactfully in Australia’s regions where migrant and indigenous groups have forged significant bonds across culture, education, sport and art.

A recent study of refugees and migrants settling in regional Australia, led by the University of Wollongong and supported by AMES Australia, found that newly arrived families are largely building successful lives in these communities and the communities are benefitting from their presence.

Around 97 per cent of families surveyed said their experience of settling in a regional town had been good, and 76 per cent said they intended to continue living in their town long term.

The survey also found strong connections between regionally settled refugees and migrants and First Nations people.

It found similarities in some cultural orientations around land, soil and the significance of place.

Many migrants and refugees told the survey of their own place-based connections and practices and identified similarities with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

The settlement of migrants and refugees enriches regional cultural life through diverse practices, food and festivals, and this is amplified when there is cultural interaction between migrant and indigenous communities.

We saw this first-hand in Mildura earlier this year at a Harmony Day event where migrant, indigenous and established communities came together to celebrate the city’s incredibly vibrant diversity.

It was a wonderful event that showed that when communities come together each one is strengthened by the support and collaboration of the others.

The welcome to country ceremony, conducted by a local elder, was heartfelt and truly welcoming.

It was also great to see a local government that is whole-heartedly invested in its multicultural and Indigenous communities.

What this tell us is that engagement and understanding of First Nations issues and barriers among Australia’s migrant communities is critical to achieving the goals of reconciliation.

And everything we have seen so far suggests that our multicultural communities are strong supporters and advocates for First Nations aspirations.

So, it is important that Australia’s migrant communities understand the history, culture and contributions of our indigenous communities as well as their issues and barriers – and this is part of our mission at AMES.

Young Asian, Arab, Pasifika, and African Australians have been a growing presence at indigenous events across the country, and peak migrant organisations are staunch supporters of reconciliation and of the aspirations of First Nations peoples.

It’s clear that the lived experience of migrants and refugees is informing their decisions to support and embrace reconciliation and Indigenous aspirations.

It’s also clear that Indigenous Australians are among the most supportive and welcoming of newly arrived migrants and refugees.

A sense of belonging to this country is vitally important and is cherished by our migrant and refugee communities; and it is an integral part of our Indigenous communities’ sense of identity.

We can never have too much recognition of this.