We have a Voice, we have Truth, now Treaty is very much within our reach 

Negotiations for Treaty in Victoria could start taking place as early as next year, writes Aunty Geraldine Atkinson. 

With guidance from the community we serve, the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria is showing the whole country that it’s possible to build a strong voice, bring about truth-telling and clear a pathway to Treaty.  

Everyone wants to get on with building a better future together as equals. But to do that we need to address past injustices and tackle the racism and discrimination that continues to hold our people back today. 

That’s what our shared journey to Treaty is all about. 

It’s an opportunity to put Aboriginal people in the driver’s seat. To make sure we always have the freedom and power to make the decisions that affect our communities, our culture and our Country. 

It’s also an invitation to walk together and build respect, understanding and connection between everyone who calls Victoria home. Everyone has the potential to benefit from First Nations perspectives, history and knowledge. 

Right now, we are on the very home stretch of the assembly’s first term. I’m pleased to report that we are on the cusp of a historic agreement with the state government that will establish the framework and process to empower Traditional Owners of Country to start negotiating Treaties as soon as next year.   

This is history-making stuff, and we wouldn’t be here without our community guiding us every step of the way. Over the past year alone, the Assembly has held nearly 400 community events and yarned in person or online with over 23,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Victoria. You can read more about these activities here in the Annual Report we recently tabled to the Victorian Parliament. 

 The collective voice, wisdom and strength across generations has gotten us to where we are today and these conversations culminated in some major milestones as our community told us exactly what’s needed on the pathway to Treaty. I’m very proud the work our members have done to channel the collective needs and aspirations into tangible, permanent Treaty-making architecture that will help improve the lives of our people. 

For example, earlier this year, the Treaty Authority bill was passed enabling the creation of an independent ‘umpire’ which will oversee Treaty negotiations between Traditional Owners and the government. 

It will be grounded in our culture, lore and law, and will sit completely outside of government systems and funding cycles. It will help us mob solve issues in our ways and strengthen the culture that has been practiced on these lands for countless generations. 

This is decolonisation in action. 

Meanwhile, the Self-Determination Fund we are designing will enable Traditional Owners to enter Treaty negotiations with the government on a more equal footing, as well as empower our communities to build wealth and greater capacity for future generations.  

This is a vital step towards tackling the legacy of invasion and colonisation that has left many of our communities at an economic disadvantage which has only compounded over the generations. It’s like running a race where your opponent has stolen your shoes and then constructed systems that blocks you at every turn. Of course it’s hard not to slip further behind. But resilience is in our blood, we are survivors and we’re ready to level the playing field. 

Treaty is our opportunity to clear the obstacles and catch up on our own terms, so our kids and grandchildren can have economic freedom and autonomy. 

The last piece of the puzzle now coming into place – we hope this month before the government enters caretaker phase – is the Treaty Negotiation Framework. This will set out the ground-rules and process for how Treaty negotiations can unfold. For example, how Treaties can be made, who is eligible to be a party to the negotiations, and so on. 

It will mean that Traditional Owners will soon be able to negotiate a Treaty specific to their area that reflects their specific priorities and aspirations.  

There will also be a statewide Treaty that will cover statewide matters – and we’re asserting that the assembly is the representative body that should negotiate that, following our elections next year where community will be able to choose who represents them on this leg of the journey. 

We’ve said time and again that when it comes to Treaty, nothing is off the table. No idea is impossible and no dream too big and I’m really excited about the conversations underway and that will continue next year about what we want Treaty to achieve and how we think it should do that. 

Whatever it ends up looking like, we know that the heart of Treaty is self-determination. The basic principle that First Peoples should be in the driver’s seat over issues that affect our communities, our culture and our Country. Our work is self-determination in action. 

It’s a journey we need to lead, but we invite every person in Victoria to come on this journey with us. Treaty will bring immeasurable benefits to all our lives and will go a long way in resetting the relationship, and the power imbalance, between First Peoples and the state.  

Our culture has stood the test of time. We want to share and celebrate it with everyone. All we are asking in return through Treaty is to have the freedom and power to make the decisions that affect us.