Eighteen Noongar dancers welcomed 800 delegates from 50 countries and 100 media representatives to the World Travel and Tourism Council's (WTTC) 24th Global Summit, which was recently held in Perth.
The welcome ceremony, produced by proud Noongar woman Karla Hart in collaboration with Phil Walley-Stack, was a mesmerising performance that captivated the audience.
Bringing together three dance groups Kwarbah Djookian, Midn Maar and Aliwah Dancers, the dances included kangaroo, emu, goanna, eagle and ocean dances as well as women gathering, the strength dance and celebration dances.
A Goreng Noongar woman from the Great Southern born in Wadjuk Country, Ms Hart said the dances represented relationships with animals and the spirit of the land.
"It was an honour to be asked to produce the welcome, particularly because I knew that the gathering had a lot of international guests who would not have experienced Noongar culture before," Ms Hart said.
"To showcase culture with a performance is something that I'm really passionate about and I love to do, and on a scale like this when we can bring different dance groups together, makes it extra special."
Ms Hart, who is an experienced performer herself as well as a film maker and named 2021 Indigenous Western Australian of the Year, said the aim was to evoke an emotional response in the audience.
"Watching the WTTC Opening Ceremony made me so proud, not just because it was an important occasion, but in the wake of The Voice referendum and the cyber hate I've seen towards Welcome to Country ceremonies, it was incredible to hear all the positive feedback afterwards," she said.
"I had people coming up to me crying afterwards, and one non-Indigenous woman asked me where her children could learn to dance.
"I want people, including Australians who are non-Indigenous, to feel really proud that our culture still exists and feel pride that we have the world's oldest living culture right here."
The powerful performance was accompanied by visuals beamed onto big screens around the Crown Towers Grand Ballroom, along with traditional music that included live digeridoo and clap sticks, composed by Mr Walley-Stack and Ms Hart.
"For the audience to see the passionate dancers and the kids participating, it shows the strength of our culture, and that the next generation is carrying it forward," Ms Hart said.
Ms Hart referred to the myth that actor Ernie Dingo and Noongar Elder, Dr Richard Walley OAM invented the Welcome to Country ceremony.
"Uncle Ernie and Uncle Walley, which is what I call them out of respect, were among the first people to perform the Welcome to Country, however our people have welcomed visitors to Country for thousands of years - it's about connection with the local community, a show of hospitality, of protection and safety, and sharing knowledge," she said.
"When people criticise and say that 'people get paid to do this', don't they realise that people who sing the national anthem get paid? It's the same thing.
"Bringing Welcome to Country into formal proceedings keeps a really strong protocol alive that has been here since time began."
The WTTC represents the world's top 200 CEOs, chairpersons and presidents from global travel and tourism companies such as Emirates, Etihad Airlines, Hilton Group, and Visa.
The Global Summit attracted speakers including 68th US Secretary of State John Kerry, Western Australian Premier Roger Cook, and tourism ministers from The Bahamas, Fiji, Peru, Philippines, Cayman Islands, and USA.
Held in Australia for the first time, the WTTC 24th Global Summit's theme was Ancient Lands, New Perspectives.
During the Summit, WTTC launched an Indigenous Tourism Report, which suggested worldwide Indigenous tourism is set to Inject US$67 billion into Global Economy by 2034.