Indigenous Elder Gets Kicked From Obama Event In Australia

Organizers of a speaking event featuring Barack Obama in Melbourne, Australia have caused controversy after removing a Wurundjeri elder from the program. Aunty Joy Murphy, who many consider a leader of the Wurundjeri Nation, had requested accommodations for a support person and to present Obama with a gift according to cultural practice. She was reportedly removed from the program after being told she was being “too difficult.” Murphy has been conducting the traditional “Welcome to Wurundjeri Land” for many years and has greeted prominent figures such as the Queen of England, Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama. Representatives for Murphy have claimed she was shocked and distressed about the situation. A spokesperson for Growth Factory, the organizer of the speaking tour, has apologized to Murphy for the incident.

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