Amazing opportunity to be in Texas attending the Annual National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) Conference. Was so pleased to see that the event was opened with a Welcome to Country, delivered by a Tribal Council member of the Alabama Coushatta Tribe. The Tribal Council seeks to retain the native language, customs, and stories that have been in place in this area since the 1700s.

Over the years I have attended many conferences and seminars throughout the US, and this is the first time I have seen a Welcome to Country as part of the event. Proud to say that in Australia we are way ahead of the US in acknowledging and paying our respects to our Nation’s First Peoples.

The NCFR is the worlds oldest organisation devoted to supporting research in family science. I am here with 1500 other participants, and trying to choose from the 412 sessions that  will be on over the next four days. Looking forward to my first session……

 

Kerry Palejs

CEO