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

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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Animals

Climate

Fire

Heritage

Landscapes

Plants

Water

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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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Aboriginal Culture and Healing Flood Recovery Grant Program

Country-based Planning and Project Services

First Principles Review

Nation Building

Rights

Treaty

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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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Indigenous Preferential Procurement

Local Government

Native Foods & Botanicals

Victorian Traditional Owner Renewable Energy Forum

Yuma Yirramboi

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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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Cultural Water

Environment

Land Rights

Rights

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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

Information Sheets

Publications

Read more about how we’re supporting self-determination through economic development.

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Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

1 day ago

Place names in Victoria should better recognise Aboriginal cultures and languages.

We support Traditional Owners’ advocacy to change place names that commemorate atrocities committed against Aboriginal people – including Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation's work to rename the place historically known as Lubra Creek to Thanampool Thookay Creek, which would replace an offensive and derogatory term for women with a name that translates as ‘women and children creek’, in recognition of the tragic massacre by European colonists of four sleeping women and one child at the site in 1842.

And we welcome the growing respect for and recognition of Aboriginal words in place-naming across Victoria.

Read more: https://theage.com.au/national/victoria/…

Learn more and have your say on Thanampool Thookay Creek: https://engage.moyne.vic.gov.au/thanampool-thookay… ... See MoreSee Less

Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

2 days ago

This article articulates the ways our beautiful tall forests create emotion and tension.

It is essential that in any engagement with Traditional Owners and their profound knowledge of Country they are treated with respect.

Traditional Owners' knowledge base is deep and broad and occupies rightful authority in decision-making on Country.

The Federation support DJAARA to exercise its rights to speak for Country and heal Country.

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‘Forest gardening’: Stoush over Aboriginal corporation’s land management

www.smh.com.au

Wombat State Forest near Daylesford has sparked a new chapter in Victoria’s forest wars, pitting Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation against a renowned ecology professor and his publisher.

Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

2 days ago

It’s not too late to ensure Traditional Owners share the benefits of renewable energy boom in Victoria, but governments must act quickly and start by recognising their fundamental interests the resources of the land.

That’s what our CEO Paul Paton told Yoorrook Justice Commission yesterday, in testimony about the continuing land and resource injustices experienced by Victorian Traditional Owners.

Paul told the Commission’s land, sky and waters hearings while the Victorian Government is interested in working with Traditional Owners to ensure benefits of establishing renewable energy industries on Country flow to Traditional Owners, the rapid transition means more must be done, and soon, to ensure they aren’t left behind.

Our Yoorrook submission calls on the Victorian Government to adequately resource Traditional Owner groups to engage in the renewable energy transition on an even playing field, and ensure their rights to manage and heal Country are central in these new industries – recognising Traditional Owners not just as stakeholders to consult, but as rights-holders with underlying interests over all Country.

As Paul said:

“The government has recognised the need for Traditional Owners to be involved and has started to establish processes, for example benefit-sharing… however we were concerned this process hasn’t been self-determining or designed by Traditional Owners. With the right settings… Traditional Owners can negotiate outcomes according to their own needs and priorities, and therefore establish a strong economic base off those agreements and be able the create those economic benefits they seek."

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Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

3 days ago

From drilling Lake Bunga for Victoria’s first oil, burning coal on the banks of the Birrarung to fuel a growing settlement, and warming the atmosphere with trapped fossil fuel emissions, building and maintaining Victoria’s energy industries has damaged Country.

Now, as Victoria rapidly transitions to renewable energy, there is an opportunity to do things differently.

Work must be done to ensure Traditional Owners aren’t left behind in Victoria’s renewable energy transition – and they must be supported to heal and manage Country damaged by historic energy industry development.

We’ll be testifying at Yoorrook Justice Commission again today, reiterating our call to the Victorian Government: adequately resource Traditional Owner groups to engage in the renewable energy transition on an even playing field, and ensure Traditional Owners’ rights to manage and heal Country are acknowledged in these new industries.

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