I am a Bangerang, Taungurung and Wiradjuri woman and as such I am connected to many families in Victoria and NSW. As well as my lived experience as an Aboriginal woman, I have been involved in Aboriginal Affairs for over 50 years in various capacities and I know it is now time to negotiate a Treaty with the State of Victoria.
Our great leaders called for the recognition of our people as the Traditional Owners of country and I believe that a Treaty will finally give us that recognition as well as reparation for our country that we currently have no say over.
As a member of the First Peoples’ Assembly in the first iteration, we had the important role of establishing the mechanics for the negotiations. This was only the first step in an important process to a Treaty.
I believe in a Treaty and see that it is important to continue this journey to see the final realisation of our dreams for a Treaty in Victoria. A Treaty is important for all our mobs in Victoria because it will give us an economic reality that we don’t currently have and will lead to better outcomes for all of us. I also believe it will be a step towards bridging the gap between ourselves and the wider community.
Member Updates
March 2024 — Meeting of Assembly at Lakes Entrance
Over the past months since the second iteration of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria was elected, as the Co-Chair of the Elders’ Voice, I have been heavily involved in the establishment of the Elders’ Voice Standing Group. Rodney Carter (the other Co-Chair of the Elders’ Voice) and myself have worked tirelessly with Drew Berick to establish a process for Elders to nominate to be on the Elders’ Voice. At the beginning of our roles as Co-Chairs Rodney and I held meetings in Mildura, Robinvale and Swan Hill with both Elders and Youth to discuss the Treaty process and how they can be involved.
At that time the Elders we spoke to were unsure about what Treaty would mean to them. A lot of them spoke about their grandchildren who are in out of home care and how this has impacted on the families. They also spoke about the need for non-Traditional Owners of Victoria who have resided in Victoria for many years to be involved in the Treaty process.
In February we received 58 nominations for the Elders’ Voice Standing Group from Elders around Victoria and we then went through a process to select 20 Elders, four from each region with male and female representation. That process is now completed and we are hoping to have an induction ceremony for the 20 successful candidates in April.
As well as attending meetings about the Elders’ Voice, I have attended the Chamber meetings, the Council, Yurpa, Treaty, Audit, Risk and Remuneration, Inclusivity and Representation, Statewide Gathering, Yoorrook Land Justice Inquiry Roundtable, and the AIATSIS Conference Organisation Committees. Besides these meetings, I also attended Workshops on Sovereignty and Wellbeing.
On the 26th January I was invited to speak at the Wangaratta Mourning Morning where I spoke about the reason for the mourning, the need to have allies for the Treaty process and I also highlighted the fact that there are recommendations from Yoorrook Truth and Justice Commission online that they can view.
From the engagement I have had with community members I can say that they are unsure of how Treaty will benefit them because this is the first Treaty that will be negotiated in Australia and they don’t know what to expect.
Despite this, they are very keen on the process and want to know more. The Elders we met with wanted to be involved in the process and are looking forward to having the Elders’ Voice Standing Group.
In the coming months, I want to ensure that community members gain a better understanding of the Treaty process and know what they want to see happen through it. I’m also keen to see how the Elders’ Voice Standing Group interacts with the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria and how we can ensure that all the Elders who put their hand up are able to contribute to the process.
Overall, I have attended 66 meetings since this iteration of the Assembly began in July 2023. I anticipate that the next 12 months will be exciting and I am looking forward to progressing the Treaty Negotiations.
