Jacinta Nampijinpa Price issues withering critique of city dwellers from the eastern states 'romanticising' Aboriginal culture: 'Unless you've lived it you can't know'

By ASHLEY NICKEL, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 14:36, 11 June 2026 | Updated: 14:43, 11 June 2026 Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has called out the 'romanticisation' of the positive aspects of Indigenous culture while doing little to improve entrenched negatives within its communities. The Northern Territory senator and former Alice Springs deputy mayor appeared as a guest on the Free Voice podcast by the Institute of Public Affairs with host Daniel Wild on Thursday. Front and centre in the pair's chat was the ongoing debate about Welcome to Country ceremonies and whether they're divisive and overdone or promote understanding and unity. Price said Australians had 'lost a really valuable opportunity' by overdoing the Welcome and Acknowledgements of Country and making them political, particularly in cities where residents might have appreciated that connection.   She claimed in the 'eastern states' there was 'a lot of romanticism around Indigenous culture' which went hand-in-hand with turning a blind eye to its problems. 'I know many Australians have been starving to understand more about Aboriginal Australia and feel more connected to it,' she said. 'What's happened is that gap has been filled by the activist class and guilty politics, as opposed to a creation of true reconciliation and a sharing of knowledge.  '...I'll always say Welcome to Country is a modern construct. Northern Territory Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (above) called out 'eastern states' for 'romanticising' Aboriginal culture 'It could have been a good opportunity but it was hijacked... and became part of the Aboriginal industry, which is big money.' Price claimed the current Welcome to Country was 'being shoved down our throat'. '(We're) being told we're a racist country and everyone's had jack of it - including Aboriginal Australians who are saying 'no',' she said. 'I know so many Aboriginal people who roll their eyes every time they hear an Acknowledgement or Welcome to Country. 'There's moments for it, like if there's foreign dignitaries and we want to put on display about everything that makes us Australians. 'But I think Aussies are saying, ''I was born here. I belong here like everybody else. I don't want to be treated like some kind of imposter.''  'Aussies genuinely want to see our marginalised overcome adversity and have opportunity, but they've also come to realise that it's not going to happen through things like Welcome to Country.' Price added that the 'guilt politics' was often misplaced as she and many other Indigenous people recognised 'not all aspects of traditional culture are beneficial'. Senator Price fronted podcast Free Voice by the Institute of Public Affairs with host Daniel Wild (above) on Thursday 'I talk about it all the time, there are parts of my culture that I know are positive and that we should take forward,' she said. 'But there's a hell of a lot that we should leave behind. 'Part of that is the fact that girls and women are not considered equal to men. You're only considered equal once you become an older woman.' Price also highlighted the punishment women faced for becoming involved in 'men's business', including beatings and sexual assaults, and issues around child marriages and polygamy. She also pointed out the disproportionate amount of sexual and domestic violence in Indigenous communities. 'If you can't talk about these things, how are we going to tackle the issues of domestic and family violence? How are we going to tackle the issues of sexual abuse, which is prevalent in Indigenous communities?' Price said. 'The activist class don't want to talk about this... They're suggesting we need a royal commission into racism.  'I'm sorry, but racism isn't killing or sexually abusing our children and our women - violence is.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.