I am a Proud Dja Dja Wurrung Man and I am honoured to be selected by Dja Dja Wurrung People to represent them as the reserved seat holder on the First Peoples Assembly of Victoria. I want to thank them for choosing me to represent them at the Treaty table.
I have strong connections to Wamba Wamba, Yorta Yorta, Dhudhuroa, Waywurru, Barapa Barapa, Wergaia and Wiradjuri. For the past 3 years, I have been living and breathing treaty, working as the engagement manager. I have travelled from Gippsland to Swan Hill, Shepperton to Warrnambool and everywhere in-between. I know how the Assembly works and I have the Treaty knowledge to guide me on the next part of my journey as an Assembly Member.
Although I’ve been elected to represent Dja Dja Wurrung on the Assembly, I will also represent community that live on Dja Dja Wurrung Country and Mob throughout Victoria, whether you are from here or not. We have a chance to negotiate better outcomes for our people through a statewide Treaty which will tackle issues in justice, health, education, housing and more! It’s time for us to make the decisions that affect us instead of Government.
The People you have elected are going to negotiate a deadly Treaty for all Mob in Victoria, but we can’t do it without you. Now is the time to show up, yarn and learn as much as you can. We need every community member to be behind us when we sit across from government and start negotiating.
Its an honour and a privilege to be elected on the Assembly. I can’t wait to get out and Yarn with you all and bring you along the Journey to negotiate the first Treaty in the Country.
Member Updates
March 2024 — Meeting of Assembly at Lakes Entrance
Hello everyone! I’m Djaran Murray-Jackson and I am the Reserved Seat Holder for Dja Dja Wurrung. I have strong connections to Wamba Wamba, Yorta Yorta, Barapa Barapa, Dhudhuroa, Waywurru, Wergaia and Wiradjuri.
Over the last few months, the Assembly has been working hard to prepare to enter negotiations with Victorian Government to create a state-wide Treaty. This will cover ‘big picture’ reforms to implement systemic change that will deliver better outcomes in critical sectors, including education, health and justice. We’ve got some important decisions to make in 2024, and the Assembly will continue to bring our communities together so we can keep yarning and start to decide the priorities the Assembly should focus on during the first round of negotiations. Following the Assembly’s announcement that negotiations will begin in late 2024 once the Treaty Authority is set up, I have been out and about yarning with anyone and everyone who wants to learn about Treaty. Since early January, I have participated in several radio interviews to promote Treaty Day Out. I also did a couple of interviews to discuss the coalition’s decision to retract their support on treaty – a disappointing outcome and one that appeared to be a case of following suit with the coalitions in other states. I’d like to reassure anyone who is reading this that Treaty is still alive and well in Victoria. The coalition wants a review on the Cultural Heritage Act and the Traditional Owner Settlement Act, and I say to them, there is a review underway by Yoorrook and they should consider participating in that process.
On 25 January, I attended Ravenhall’s Invasion Day event which was a day full of culture and learning. There were dance performances and a history lesson from Aunty Zeta Thomson. On Invasion Day, I attended the Invasion Day rally in Melbourne CBD. It was deadly hearing several people talk on stage and looking out to the crowd and seeing how many people turned out to march with us in solidarity. On 6th February, I was out on Dja Dja Wurrung Country with Commissioner Lovett from the Yoorrook Justice Commission, as well as staff and mob from Djaara, yarning about land justice. With the help of Jacinta Douglas, the Traditional Owner Engagement Officer at Djaara, we have started the process to apply for the first round of funding from the Self-Determination Fund (SDF). For those of you who don’t know much about the SDF, it is a community resource which was negotiated by the last round of members. The first round of funding will aim to assist Traditional Owners to come together and figure out their aspirations for Treaty. Jacinta and I are planning on holding the largest Djaara gathering we’ve ever had to start the process for negotiating a Traditional Owner Treaty! Looking ahead, my focus will be preparing Dja Dja Wurrung for Treaty and ensuring state-wide Treaty delivers real outcomes for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in Victoria.
