The Wunya (Welcome) Baby to Country Ceremony is an acknowledgement of an infant’s connection to the traditional lands on which they’re born and a celebration of their birth.
The ceremony, in which Elders of the community marked newborns with ochre. This signified the land, and welcomed them to Country. The last event was last held by First Nations Australians almost 85 years ago.
Wunya Event in 2018
In 2018 the community came together with the support of the First 1000 Days initiative and the Mindle Bygul Aboriginal Corporation to hold its first Welcome Baby to Country ceremony in many years.
The community has since embraced the ceremony: the turnout in 2019 was ten times that of the previous year. Almost two hundred people came from all over the region to the event at yourtown, Deception Bay on Gubbi Gubbi/Kabi Kabi Country. They came to support the children and the families participating in the ceremony. An event was also held at Centenary Lakes in Caboolture. Anglicare was closely involved with both of these communities.
At the Wunya (Welcome) Baby Ceremony in Deception Bay, Elders named babies in turn. They also painted their faces and gifted them kangaroo furs and clapping sticks. There was also a barbecue and tents with wooden prints, native seeds and crochet on display. After the naming ceremony, four women performed a ceremonial dance. Afterwards, everyone planted native plants in the garden.
The Welcome Baby to Country ceremony gives children a sense of identity and belonging right from the beginning. Additionally, this extends to their parents, as well. The newborns will go into life knowing who they are and the Country that they belong to. This can give them pride in their culture, traditions and identity. The community that comes together at the ceremony will hopefully be a community that supports each other throughout their lives.
The revitalisation of traditional ceremonies such as this is driven and supported by First Nations communities. Importantly, it allows lost stories and cultures to be rediscovered and reclaimed by a whole new generation of First Nations families.
For more information
For more information about the Welcoming Babies to Country Ceremony see this article in The Guardian; and a resource guide on the First 1000 Days website.
