The overuse of Welcome to Country acknowledgements do nothing to help indigenous people and could lead to genuine First Nation’s issues being ignored, Chris O’Keefe says.

Chris said the spread of Welcome To Country acknowledgements to Zoom meetings, preschools and even shopping centres was “diluting its value”.

“Reserve a Welcome To Country for significant events to preserve its significance and meaning,” Chris said.

He said we need to preserve the significant nature of Welcome to Country by using it at special occasions.

He people were more likely to “ignore genuine First Nation’s issues” if it was being “jammed down our throat every single day, it is getting obscene”.