Organisers apologise after Aunty Joy Murphy dropped from Barack Obama's Melbourne event

The organisers of former US president Barack Obama's speaking event in Melbourne have apologised for stopping Indigenous elder Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin AO from performing a Welcome to Country ceremony at the event.

The senior Wurundjeri elder was asked to open Wednesday night's sold-out event, but the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation said event organisers, Growth Faculty, removed her from proceedings amid claims she was being "too difficult".

The corporation said Aunty Joy, 78, had requested "weeks in advance" to bring a support person to the event, and "to present Mr Obama with the gift of a gum leaf as is custom in Wurundjeri culture".

Read More: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-30/barack-obama-aunty-joy-murphy-snub-apology/102163754