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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

Healthy Country means healthy communities. Our work recognises Traditional Owners’ rights and responsibilities to care and make decisions for Country.

Traditional Owner groups have knowledge, rights and responsibilities, stemming from 65,000 years of experience on Country. The Federation works in the following areas to embed Traditional Owner voices in management of Country.

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Community

Community wellbeing means strong culture, people and place.

The Federation’s work recognises Traditional Owner groups as authoritative decision-makers with rights and power. Our advocacy, programs and services enable Traditional Owners to get on with the business of caring for Country, culture and community.

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Impact

The Federation’s advocacy shapes the landscape in which Victorian Traditional Owner corporations do their important work.

We have put cultural fire and cultural water on the agenda for government, sought greater protections for Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property, fought for a fair place in the expanding native foods and botanicals industry, championed treaty and self-determination, supported a drastic reconsideration of how our cultural heritage is approached at both state and national levels, and worked to have economic development considered as more than just small business grants.

 

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About

The Federation is the Victorian state-wide body that convenes and advocates for the rights and interests of Traditional Owner groups 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.

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Our next Treaty messaging training is in-person, on Thursday!

Were hosting a free, one-hour training workshop for Traditional Owner organisation spokespeople and communications staff talking about Treaty – drawing on research into what everyday Victorians think about Treaty, and how to communicate in ways that build confidence and support.

If you talk regularly about Treaty in your work, this training will help you build confidence, land key messages, and stop misinformation spreading.

Our first training happened this morning, and weve received some really positive feedback. Next up is an in-person session this Thursday, 4 September, 4-5pm at Aborigines Advancement League Inc. Vic.

RSVP now to secure your spot 👉🏾 bit.ly/3HYSuV9

Our next Treaty messaging training is in-person, on Thursday!

We're hosting a free, one-hour training workshop for Traditional Owner organisation spokespeople and communications staff talking about Treaty – drawing on research into what everyday Victorians think about Treaty, and how to communicate in ways that build confidence and support.

If you talk regularly about Treaty in your work, this training will help you build confidence, land key messages, and stop misinformation spreading.

Our first training happened this morning, and we've received some really positive feedback. Next up is an in-person session this Thursday, 4 September, 4-5pm at Aborigines Advancement League Inc. Vic.

RSVP now to secure your spot 👉🏾 bit.ly/3HYSuV9
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We were thrilled to get out to visit Tati Tati Kaiejin’s flood recovery work along the Murray River near Robinvale a few weeks ago.

When the Murray River flooded near Robinvale in October 2022, it brought debris, asbestos, weeds and rubble up from the depths.

And it also brought a state-led emergency response that labelled flooding as only a bad thing – but for Tati Tati, flooding is a natural part of the river’s lifecycle, and an important aspect of the health of Country.

What wasn’t natural was the human-made destruction that followed the floods. So Tati Tati got to work. 

Under the Aboriginal Culture and Healing Flood Recovery Grant Program – which we administer on behalf of Emergency Recovery Victoria – Tati Tati employed mob as recovery officers, to help restore three key areas of Country.

The team cleared rubbish and fallen trees, replaced invasive weed species with endemic native plants, and cared for the landscape in the same way their ancestors did.

This wasn’t just about restoring the health of Country, it was about restoring the health of Tati Tati people as well.

Tati Tati told us it was a way to bring Elders on-Country, to hand down knowledge from generation to generation, to increase knowledge of plants and animals in the ecosystem, and to keep working for Country – like Tati Tati have done for thousands of years. 

Thank you for having us, Tati Tati Kaiejin – it was an honour to walk Country with you and learn more about this vital work.

We were thrilled to get out to visit Tati Tati Kaiejin’s flood recovery work along the Murray River near Robinvale a few weeks ago.

When the Murray River flooded near Robinvale in October 2022, it brought debris, asbestos, weeds and rubble up from the depths.

And it also brought a state-led emergency response that labelled flooding as only a bad thing – but for Tati Tati, flooding is a natural part of the river’s lifecycle, and an important aspect of the health of Country.

What wasn’t natural was the human-made destruction that followed the floods. So Tati Tati got to work.

Under the Aboriginal Culture and Healing Flood Recovery Grant Program – which we administer on behalf of Emergency Recovery Victoria – Tati Tati employed mob as recovery officers, to help restore three key areas of Country.

The team cleared rubbish and fallen trees, replaced invasive weed species with endemic native plants, and cared for the landscape in the same way their ancestors did.

This wasn’t just about restoring the health of Country, it was about restoring the health of Tati Tati people as well.

Tati Tati told us it was a way to bring Elders on-Country, to hand down knowledge from generation to generation, to increase knowledge of plants and animals in the ecosystem, and to keep working for Country – like Tati Tati have done for thousands of years.

Thank you for having us, Tati Tati Kaiejin – it was an honour to walk Country with you and learn more about this vital work.
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There’s an independent committee that advises the Victorian Government on climate change in agriculture – but it doesn’t have representation from Victoria’s first farmers.

That could change.

The Victorian Agriculture and Climate Change Council is seeking a Chair, Deputy Chair, and five members, to provide independent, expert, and strategic advice to the Minister for Agriculture on:

🌱 challenges climate change poses to agriculture
🌱 how agriculture can adapt and support emissions reduction
🌱 how agriculture can progress the Victorian Government’s climate change targets

There’s no designated Traditional Owner position on the Council, but one of the six selection criteria requires an “understanding of and commitment to Aboriginal self-determination, including recognition of Traditional Owner rights, sovereignty and assertions”.

And we know this Council, and the Government’s policies, will be better if Traditional Owners are involved in making decisions and setting the agenda.

Council spots are paid (between $12-23k for around four, six-hour meetings per year, plus possible out-of-session business) and applications close at 5pm on 9 September. Were happy to help with your application or references.

Learn more 👉🏾 bit.ly/4g2VX1z

There’s an independent committee that advises the Victorian Government on climate change in agriculture – but it doesn’t have representation from Victoria’s first farmers.

That could change.

The Victorian Agriculture and Climate Change Council is seeking a Chair, Deputy Chair, and five members, to provide independent, expert, and strategic advice to the Minister for Agriculture on:

🌱 challenges climate change poses to agriculture
🌱 how agriculture can adapt and support emissions reduction
🌱 how agriculture can progress the Victorian Government’s climate change targets

There’s no designated Traditional Owner position on the Council, but one of the six selection criteria requires an “understanding of and commitment to Aboriginal self-determination, including recognition of Traditional Owner rights, sovereignty and assertions”.

And we know this Council, and the Government’s policies, will be better if Traditional Owners are involved in making decisions and setting the agenda.

Council spots are paid (between $12-23k for around four, six-hour meetings per year, plus possible out-of-session business) and applications close at 5pm on 9 September. We're happy to help with your application or references.

Learn more 👉🏾 bit.ly/4g2VX1z
... See MoreSee Less

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