The Indigenous Elder behind the controversial Welcome to Country delivered at an AFLW final has broken her silence to reveal she ‘doesn’t care’ what anyone thinks of her speech.
Prominent Indigenous leader Warren Mundine slammed the Welcome Louisa Bonner delivered before an AFLW preliminary final in Ipswich, Queensland, labelling the politicised speech ‘completely inappropriate’.
The controversy came after Bonner addressed the crowd ahead of the Brisbane Lions versus Carlton Blues preliminary final on Saturday.
While she began with a traditional greeting, Bonner pivoted to a political statement about youth detention, claiming the system treats children ‘as a number within the structures that serve their political and economic interests’.
She further inflamed tensions by promoting her own business, Narungga Limited, telling the stadium, ‘If you wish to discuss us, catch up with me afterwards. Here’s my business card.’
Mundine, a former Labor Party president, argued that a Welcome to Country is ‘not about giving a personal lecture’ or an opportunity ‘to run off in a promotion for your business’.
Queensland Indigenous Elder Louisa Bonner (pictured) came under fire for her Welcome to Country ceremony at an AFLW final on Saturday
Indigenous leader Warren Mundine slammed the ceremony because of the political messaging
The Welcome to Country ceremony was delivered before the Brisbane Lions’ preliminary final win over the Carlton Blues (pictured)
He urged speakers to ‘look at the Macquarie Dictionary… and look up the word welcome,’ stating the sentiment should simply be, ‘we want you to be here, we love you to be here.’
Radio host Tom Elliott joined the chorus of criticism, describing the address as a ‘diatribe’ about colonisation that was ‘wrong’ and ‘completely inappropriate before a football game’.
Daily Mail reached out to Bonner for comment. She has also since made her social media profile private.
Bonner explained that she chose the platform to make her speech in order to create change.
‘I just wanted to share with the community and, hopefully, trigger people talking, and someone might come and ask me: ‘What’s going on there [in the Indigenous community]?” she told The Age.
‘I just want the Australian public to know that everything is not what it seems or sounds to be like. We have all this government structure out there, and they think blackfellas are getting everything.
‘Most white, mainstream communities think we get everything. As long as they are prepared to open their mouths, I don’t care.
‘I will set them on the right path and tell them the truth about what’s really happening. I just want to see some action.’
Footy fans were divided over the controversial Welcome to Country, with many agreeing that it was not the right time for political messaging.
Bonner used her Welcome to Country speech to talk about Indigenous youth in detention in Australia
The Indigenous Elder has since spoken about her speech, saying she wants to create change and doesn’t care what white Australians think
Pictured: The moment Bonner held her business card up during the ceremony in a moment that infuriated Mundine
‘Totally inappropriate. Not the right place or time. Time WTC was removed from games,’ one fan posted.
‘This was not a welcome to country, this was a political speech,’ added another.
But others were supportive of Bonner’s actions.
‘Get a life, Warren Mundine! The truth will set us free from politicians. The truth was told, like it or lump it. Stay positive, sis; ignore the fools – they will go away,’ one follower posted.
AFL Fans Association president Ronnie Issko would not comment directly on Bonner’s speech.
He said the association had polled fans this season, asking when Welcome to Australia speeches should be given.
‘It is a varied view from fans, but I don’t have a definitive view from fans that they are against it, but other than probably if we have it for a time period – one, one-and-a-half minutes – and probably stick to Welcome to Country, and maybe not have political statements attached to it,’ Issko said.
