Preacher Dave Pellowe was recently summoned before the Queensland Human Rights Commission (QHRC) after refusing to have an Indigenous Aboriginal smoking ceremony as part of his Christian conferences.
The welcome ceremony, or smoking ritual, is now commonplace in Australian sports events, government events, and other public meetings. On its government website, the National Indigenous Australians Agency states that any “welcome to the country ceremony” must involve traditional Aboriginal owners or custodians of the land where the event or meeting occurs. The website adds an example from another government agency, Reconciliation Australia, of what should be covered in these ceremonies and how event organizers should acknowledge and pay respect to the past, present, and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of the nation and the continuation of cultural, spiritual, and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Instead of the welcome ceremony, Pellowe read from Psalm 24. He stated that these Aboriginal ceremonies conflicted with his Christian beliefs.
“You can’t mix Christianity, a true religion, with something that is made up,” Pellowe said. “These are religious rituals which Christians, in particular, should have no part of … and my answer [to not being worried about offending Indigenous Australians] was an explanation of the duty of Christians to preach the truth and gospel, and to not mix Christianity with false religion, such as the Aboriginal traditional religion.”
An attendee at Pellowe’s conference complained to the QHRC and is threatening further legal action. Pellowe has vowed to fight the case.
