<P> There is no formal wording but usually follows something like "I would like to acknowledge that this meeting is being held on the traditional lands of the (appropriate group) people, and pay my respect to elders both past and present ." Whatever the wording it usually makes reference to the traditional custodians and the elders past and present of those traditional custodians . </P> <P> Unlike the more formal Welcome to Country, the Acknowledgment of Country need not be (and usually is not) performed by an elder of the local aboriginal tribe, as it is more a respect paid to the traditional custodians . An Acknowledgment of Country is often used informally at the beginning of meetings including Australian Parliament, education events or legal and community meetings . </P> <P> Although not called as such, similar salutations may be exchanged in other ex-settler colonial countries with indigenous minorities, where they may be known as land acknowledgement or territorial acknowledgement . An example would be during the 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, when the Squamish Nation, the Musqueam Indian Band, the Lil'wat First Nation, and the Tsleil - Waututh First Nation gave Olympic visitors an official welcome to their traditional territories (Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, Canada). In a few cases the Australian usage has been adopted whole cloth, as when engineer Gordon Howell prefaced his remarks to a 2010 conference on housing in Inuvik with an acknowledgement borrowed from Australian politician Mike Rann . </P> <P> On 26 January 2013, Kathleen Wynne's speech to the Ontario Liberal Party's leadership convention began with an acknowledgement of country for the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation . </P>

Who are the traditional owners and custodians of this land