Aboriginal songs open Parliament

Aborigines in white body paint danced and sang traditional songs in Parliament today in a historic ceremony that was Australia’s recognition that the land on which the capital, Canberra, was built was taken from Aborigines without compensation.

Aborigines of the Ngunnawal tribe called on their ancestral spirits to welcome newcomers to Parliament in a ceremony held in a hall of the national legislature.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd accepted a traditional “message stick” of welcome. On Wednesday, he will offer a formal apology to thousands of Aborigines who were taken from their families as children.