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Welcome to the Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

The Federation is the Victorian state-wide body that convenes and advocates for the rights and interests of Traditional Owners while progressing wider social, economic, environmental and cultural objectives.

About Us

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land we work on as the First Peoples of this Country.

Country

Country is the central pillar of our work and strategy because healthy Country means healthy community. Country first is the guiding principle for our Traditional Owner knowledge holders. Our work to embed culture on Country supports Traditional Owner decision making in policy and respects over 40,000 years of lived experience on Country.

Our work on Country recognises the knowledge, rights and responsibilities of Traditional Owners. We work in the following areas to embed Traditional Owner voices in management of Country.

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Community

Community wellbeing means strong culture and healthy community.

Our community provides the direction and knowledge base that informs our work and guides our policy advice. It is our Traditional Owner community that we support to realise their Nation visions and have real management of Country and culture.

Our community is actively supported by our work in the following areas.

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Economy

Economic development supports community wellbeing and is critical to enabling activation of rights and self-determination of our People.

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Impact

Our work developing policy and advocating for Traditional Owner rights is impactful. Policy is the tool by which we embed self-determination in the colonising structures that govern Country and culture.

Our policy work with Traditional Owners supports them to realise their principles and visions through statutory and legislative change.

In the following areas we have made significant changes through our direct advocacy.

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About Us

We are the Victorian state-wide body that convenes and advocates for the rights and interests of Traditional Owners while progressing wider social, economic, environmental and cultural objectives.

We support the progress of agreement-making and participation in decision-making to enhance the authority of Traditional Owner Corporations on behalf of their communities.

Our governance supports our purpose to facilitate and amplify a strong voice for Traditional Owners and progress our shared interests. We talk about this more in the following sections.

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News

Economic development supports community wellbeing and is critical to enabling activation of rights and self-determination of our People.
Discussion Papers
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Information Sheets
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Publications
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Read more about how we’re supporting self-determination through economic development.

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Its good to see Victorian Government ministers giving evidence at Yoorrook Justice Commission – but acknowledging harm without making amends means little.

Our latest media statement draws on our submission to the Victorian Budget – outlining (and quantifying!) priority areas for investment that would help the government live up to the pledges to address injustice its ministers made in testimony.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4dpwP3a

It's good to see Victorian Government ministers giving evidence at Yoorrook Justice Commission – but acknowledging harm without making amends means little.

Our latest media statement draws on our submission to the Victorian Budget – outlining (and quantifying!) priority areas for investment that would help the government live up to the pledges to address injustice its ministers made in testimony.

Read more:
... See MoreSee Less

We can’t talk about protecting biodiversity without centring Traditional Owners’ rights.

The Federation was pleased to give feedback on the Australian Government’s proposed approach to biodiversity conservation last week.

The Draft Framework for Other Effective Area-based Conversation Measures will help Australia meet its national target to protect and conserve 30% of Australia’s landmass by 2030, focusing on places outside formally protected areas.

Our feedback built on our earlier submission to the principles underpinning this framework – reminding the Australian Government of the intrinsic interconnection between biodiversity, culture, and self-determination, and its obligation to uphold Traditional Owners’ rights to heal and manage country under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Our submission gave specific feedback on six areas of improvement – spanning stronger governance, climate change inclusion, and greater emphasis on Traditional Owners’ cultural knowledge and practice – and strongly urged close involvement with Traditional Owners in the design of future conservation sites. 

Read more: https://bit.ly/draft-framework-oecms-submission

We can’t talk about protecting biodiversity without centring Traditional Owners’ rights.

The Federation was pleased to give feedback on the Australian Government’s proposed approach to biodiversity conservation last week.

The Draft Framework for Other Effective Area-based Conversation Measures will help Australia meet its national target to protect and conserve 30% of Australia’s landmass by 2030, focusing on places outside formally protected areas.

Our feedback built on our earlier submission to the principles underpinning this framework – reminding the Australian Government of the intrinsic interconnection between biodiversity, culture, and self-determination, and its obligation to uphold Traditional Owners’ rights to heal and manage country under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Our submission gave specific feedback on six areas of improvement – spanning stronger governance, climate change inclusion, and greater emphasis on Traditional Owners’ cultural knowledge and practice – and strongly urged close involvement with Traditional Owners in the design of future conservation sites.

Read more:
... See MoreSee Less

The work on establishing Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property legislation in this country is essential but let’s not be limited by arts practice and look more broadly to biocultural knowledge as well.

#DontStopNow
#WorldIPday
AusGov Office for the Arts

The work on establishing Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property legislation in this country is essential but let’s not be limited by arts practice and look more broadly to biocultural knowledge as well.

#DontStopNow
#WorldIPday
AusGov Office for the Arts
... See MoreSee Less

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