Home - Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

Welcome to the Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

We’re the state-wide body fighting for the rights and interests of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations while progressing wider social, economic, environmental and cultural objectives.

About

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 with Country. The Federation’s policy, advocacy and government relations work helps restore Traditional Owners’ authority in frameworks for managing of Country.

View our work for Country

Community

Community wellbeing means strong culture.

The Federation’s work recognises Traditional Owner Corporations as authoritative and representative decision-makers with rights, power, and responsibilities. Our advocacy and services support Traditional Owners to care for Country, culture and community.

View our work for community

Economy

Strong and independent economies sustain Traditional Owner communities and enable self-determination.

The Federation’s research, grant administration, knowledge-sharing and advocacy promote rights-based economic development for Traditional Owner Corporations.

View our work for economy

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 rights, 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 Traditional Owners’ economic development considered as more than just small business grants.

See our impact

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.

Founded in 2013 by Traditional Owner Corporations who recognised they could be stronger together, we are by and for Traditional Owners: their policy and advocacy body, helping to enhance their authority on behalf of their communities.

Our strategy

Resources

Discussion papers

Information sheets

Publications

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Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

18 hours ago

Here's what some of our team's up to this week.

🟡 Kaley’s been at the Aboriginal Strategic Governance Forum this week – where we joined other Aboriginal-controlled organisations and the Victorian Government to set direction and jointly make decisions in areas affecting Traditional Owners, including health, wellbeing, housing, and family services.

🟡 Steph’s joined a DEECA-hosted meeting for TOC Cacus members on Indigenous data sovereignty, and ticked off the final, one-percenter tasks for this morning’s Caucus meeting (printing the agendas, finalising the run sheet, briefing our team, confirming dietary requirements, etc).

🟡 There’s a deadline in our shared calendar for Cultural Fire Leadership Group papers, which Lisa met yesterday – and this meeting’s got an in-person attendance option, so Ken’s on the catering and room booking.

🟡 184 pages on DEECA’s water management strategy? No worries for our dedicated TOC Caucus policy team, who are getting across the detail before Thursday’s meeting, to best support TOC Caucus members when it’s presented.

🟡 Kurt’s lining up the very last of our Nation Building Resource Pool grant program close-off meetings, and Sophie’s starting to draft a publication on how that program did grant administration differently – to show potential future funders who could keep this important work going.

🟡 Ben’s preparing for board meetings for both the Federation and our investment company, Federation Enterprises – and this week clocked up an incredible milestone 14 years with our organisation (and a mid-meeting surprise gift). We’re lucky! ... See MoreSee Less

Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

3 days ago

One way we support Traditional Owners: clever investment in dividend-paying projects that sustainably fund our operations.

The Federation is an independent organisation with long-term, transformative goals – so it doesn't make sense for our work to be funded entirely by government, or on a piecemeal, projects basis.

Instead, we direct our subsidiary, Federation Enterprises – a for-profit company tasked with finding and investing in values-aligned work whose profits shore up the Federation's policy, advocacy and convening for Traditional Owner communities.

We're thrilled to today share the announcement that Federation Enterprises has acquired a five per cent stake in Australia's first Aboriginal-owned renewable energy retailer, Yurringa Energy, alongside Taungurung Land & Waters Council.

Yurringa is shows huge promise and is blazing a trail in an industry where First Nations communities are sorely under-represented. We couldn't be happier that our strategic investment both supports this business and drives our long-term impact for Traditional Owner communities. ... See MoreSee Less

Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

3 days ago

The amount of native title in Queensland is the equivalent of France, but in Victoria, it’s barely Brisbane.

For Traditional Owners, that’s a big problem.

Native title isn’t a perfect scheme, but it does recognise Traditional Owners’ rights in Country, and provide triggers for giving consent, making decisions, and sharing in benefits when industry happens on Country. Here in Victoria – where high levels of private property ownership and national park limit the land available to Traditional Owners – it’s a real concern for the Traditional Owner groups looking to build economic independence and provide for their communities.

Because how can you look after mob without money and Country?

Our CEO Kaley sat down with Uncle Charles Pakana from Victorian Aboriginal News for a native title explainer, which is available online now. Thanks Uncle Charles, as always, for the opportunity, and we hope you enjoy the yarn. ... See MoreSee Less

Native Title in the Victorian context with Kaley Nicholson - Victorian Aboriginal News

vicaboriginalnews.com.au

Kaley Nicholson, CEO of the Federation of Victorian Traditional Owners Corporation, gives an easily understandable overview of what Native Title is in the Victorian context.

Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

6 days ago

Victorian Traditional Owners have won a national culture prize!

A massive congratulations to the five Wotjobaluk Nations, represented by their Barengi Gadjin Land Council, who last night scooped the AIATSIS Summit prize for Excellence in Cultural Revitalisation, Preservation, and Resurgence.

They won for the Wotjobaluk Nations’ Festival, which was held last December to acknowledge 20 years of native title and celebrate the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagulk Peoples' vibrant, enduring cultures.

Our CEO Kaley was cheering in the audience, and snapped this photo of Barengi Gadjin's Colin Gorton and Chris Santagiuliana.

Congratulations! ... See MoreSee Less