Home - Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

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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Animals

Climate

Closing the Gap

Cultural Landscapes

Fire

Heritage

Plants

Water

Workforce Development Strategy

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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Aboriginal Culture and Healing Flood Recovery Grant Program

Closing the Gap

Country-based planning services

First Principles Review

Nation Building Knowledge Sharing Day

Nation-building

Rights

Treaty

Workforce Development Strategy

Economy

Economic development supports community wellbeing and is critical to enabling self-determination.

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Aboriginal-owned joint ventures

Closing the Gap

Economic Development Roadmap

Indigenous preferential procurement

Local government

Native foods and botanicals business grants

Native foods and botanicals strategy

Renewable energy

Victorian Aboriginal economic development

Workforce Development Strategy

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.

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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10 Year Anniversary

Contact Us

Federation Enterprises

Memberships

Our Partners

Strategic Documents

Welcome to Country

Resources

Discussion papers

Information sheets

Publications

Connect with us on social media

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Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

3 days ago

New dingo research makes the case for nationally standardised naming – to finally recognise the truth that dingoes are native wildlife, not domestic dogs gone feral.

Researcher Kylie Cairns in The Conversation Australia + NZ:

“It’s widely accepted domestic and wild animal populations should be distinguished and be given different scientific names. Domestication is often portrayed as a simple before-and-after event. But this isn’t accurate.

Domestication is a long, messy continuum. Some domesticated species such as cattle and modern dog breeds depend on humans for their survival. But dingoes are different. They have lived alongside people but are also entirely capable of surviving without us, and have done so for thousands of years.

In evolutionary terms, what matters is the trajectory. Did human contact fundamentally alter the appearance, biology and behaviour of the species, locking it into a domestic lifestyle? Or did human influence have little effect, meaning the species has been shaped primarily by natural selection in the wild?”

That ‘human influence’ is, of course, dingoes’ relationship with Traditional Owners, who have coexisted with the animal for thousands of years. Any national taxonomy must be shaped by Traditional Owners – who must be the ones making decisions for culturally significant species.

Read more 👉🏾 ... See MoreSee Less

Dingoes are not domestic dogs – new evidence shows these native canines are on their own evolutionary path

bit.ly

New research suggests dingoes are distinct enough to have their own scientific name. If this is accepted, it will have far-reaching consequences

Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

1 week ago

We were thrilled to join nearly 500 people at last week’s First Nations Clean Energy Symposium in Kabi Kabi (Sunshine Coast).

Our senior economic development advisor Daniel told us the network and movement built by First Nations Clean Energy Network is incredible, and it was really inspiring to come together with Traditional Owners, academics, lawyers and industry working towards a common goal.

That goal: ensuring Traditional Owners are central to decision-making around the renewable energy transition, able to work in partnership with proponents to manage impacts on Country, equitable share in benefits from use of their Country’s resources, and working towards being proponents themselves.

“Together it felt like we could keep on pushing this all forward… continuing to work together over the coming decades to bring this vision into reality.”

Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation, Gunditj Mirring ✊🏾

Learn more about FNCEN here 👉🏾
https://www.firstnationscleanenergy.org.au/

We were thrilled to join nearly 500 people at last week’s First Nations Clean Energy Symposium in Kabi Kabi (Sunshine Coast).

Our senior economic development advisor Daniel told us the network and movement built by First Nations Clean Energy Network is incredible, and it was really inspiring to come together with Traditional Owners, academics, lawyers and industry working towards a common goal.

That goal: ensuring Traditional Owners are central to decision-making around the renewable energy transition, able to work in partnership with proponents to manage impacts on Country, equitable share in benefits from use of their Country’s resources, and working towards being proponents themselves.

“Together it felt like we could keep on pushing this all forward… continuing to work together over the coming decades to bring this vision into reality.”

Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation, Gunditj Mirring ✊🏾

Learn more about FNCEN here 👉🏾
... See MoreSee Less

Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

1 week ago

Are you a Victorian Traditional Owner with knowledge of or experience in cultural heritage? The Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council wants to hear from you!

Applications are now open to join the Heritage Council – the independent statutory body responsible for strengthening the protection of Aboriginal cultural heritage in Victoria.

Among other things, Council appoints Registered Aboriginal Parties, advises the Minister for First Peoples, manages reporting of ancestral remains and sacred objects, manages the Victorian Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Fund, and promote public awareness and understanding of Aboriginal cultural heritage.

This is a paid opportunity: Council members attend six two-day Council meetings per year, participate in 1-2 hour advisory committee meetings every couple of weeks, and represent Council in other meetings as required, and are paid a sitting fee for their work.

Applications close 25 September. Learn more and apply now 👉🏾 bit.ly/4lwJB2V

Are you a Victorian Traditional Owner with knowledge of or experience in cultural heritage? The Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council wants to hear from you!

Applications are now open to join the Heritage Council – the independent statutory body responsible for strengthening the protection of Aboriginal cultural heritage in Victoria.

Among other things, Council appoints Registered Aboriginal Parties, advises the Minister for First Peoples, manages reporting of ancestral remains and sacred objects, manages the Victorian Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Fund, and promote public awareness and understanding of Aboriginal cultural heritage.

This is a paid opportunity: Council members attend six two-day Council meetings per year, participate in 1-2 hour advisory committee meetings every couple of weeks, and represent Council in other meetings as required, and are paid a sitting fee for their work.

Applications close 25 September. Learn more and apply now 👉🏾 bit.ly/4lwJB2V ... See MoreSee Less

Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

2 weeks ago

We were thrilled to join GLaWAC yesterday to launch the latest phase of its bushfoods cultural enterprise.

Years ago, Wulgunggo Ngalu Learning Place was a prison nursery. Today, it’s a place where men on community corrections orders can connect with and grow strong in culture – including through growing native plants.

GLaWAC used funding from the Nation Building Resource Pool grant program, which we administered on behalf of First Peoples - State Relations, to refurbish the former prison nursery and establish a product labelling system that respects the Indigenous cultural and intellectual property rights captured in our Traditional Owner Native Foods and Botanicals Strategy.

Now, men at Wulgunggo Ngalu grow and process native spice plants: coastal saltbush, mountain pepperberry, and bush mint (native thyme) – which will soon be available for sale.

Gabby, Kaley and Sophie were thrilled to join GLaWAC and Wulgunggo Ngalu as they launched the next phase of Growing Traditional Foods on Gunaikurnai Country (Wurruk) – garinga djimbayang. We’re excited to see Indigenous knowledge embedded in TAFE horticulture courses, a First Nations-led supply chain grow, and Aboriginal men across Gippsland growing even stronger in culture through food.

As Uncle Troy McDonald said: “A Nation grows strong when it shares ideas as freely as it does food.”

We were thrilled to join GLaWAC yesterday to launch the latest phase of its bushfoods cultural enterprise.

Years ago, Wulgunggo Ngalu Learning Place was a prison nursery. Today, it’s a place where men on community corrections orders can connect with and grow strong in culture – including through growing native plants.

GLaWAC used funding from the Nation Building Resource Pool grant program, which we administered on behalf of First Peoples - State Relations, to refurbish the former prison nursery and establish a product labelling system that respects the Indigenous cultural and intellectual property rights captured in our Traditional Owner Native Foods and Botanicals Strategy.

Now, men at Wulgunggo Ngalu grow and process native spice plants: coastal saltbush, mountain pepperberry, and bush mint (native thyme) – which will soon be available for sale.

Gabby, Kaley and Sophie were thrilled to join GLaWAC and Wulgunggo Ngalu as they launched the next phase of Growing Traditional Foods on Gunaikurnai Country (Wurruk) – garinga djimbayang. We’re excited to see Indigenous knowledge embedded in TAFE horticulture courses, a First Nations-led supply chain grow, and Aboriginal men across Gippsland growing even stronger in culture through food.

As Uncle Troy McDonald said: “A Nation grows strong when it shares ideas as freely as it does food.” ... See MoreSee Less

© 2025 Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations