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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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Fur sales considerations arent just about making possum skin cloaks.

Theres a much bigger picture at play: of how Traditional Owners are connected to and managing Country, how their rights and interests are respected, how continuous cultural connection happens in a colonised place, and how regulators make decisions that affect the fundamental principle that all industry in Australia now happens on stolen land. 

Thats the view we shared at todays workshop on a potential sale of fur, sharing our policy insights into how a potential ban could – inadvertently! – undermine Traditional Owners.

We were grateful to be invited to share our views, and proud to sit alongside Victorian Traditional Owner groups in this incredibly diverse forum.

Our CEO Kaley is second from right, between Animal Justice Party AJP Victorias Georgie Purcell and our natural resources management advisor Lisa, whos next to Victorian Labors Ryan Batchelor. Thank you Georgie and Ryan for the invitation to share our views.

Fur sales considerations aren't just about making possum skin cloaks.

There's a much bigger picture at play: of how Traditional Owners are connected to and managing Country, how their rights and interests are respected, how continuous cultural connection happens in a colonised place, and how regulators make decisions that affect the fundamental principle that all industry in Australia now happens on stolen land.

That's the view we shared at today's workshop on a potential sale of fur, sharing our policy insights into how a potential ban could – inadvertently! – undermine Traditional Owners.

We were grateful to be invited to share our views, and proud to sit alongside Victorian Traditional Owner groups in this incredibly diverse forum.

Our CEO Kaley is second from right, between Animal Justice Party AJP Victoria's Georgie Purcell and our natural resources management advisor Lisa, who's next to Victorian Labor's Ryan Batchelor. Thank you Georgie and Ryan for the invitation to share our views.
... See MoreSee Less

Kaley Nicholson is the Federations next CEO. ✊🏾

A proud Koorie woman with an MIBL and Beyonce quote on her bedroom wall, shes – as of yesterday morning – officially our CEO. We couldnt be more thrilled.

Everything I do is for my community, and working with the Federation is no exception. I’m excited and honoured to take up the challenge of leading the Federation into this next phase, where we’ll see Traditional Owner Treaty negotiations begin, an even stronger focus on Traditional Owners’ economic rights and leadership, and fierce advocacy on the collective priorities of Victorian Traditional Owner groups.

Read our statement 👉🏾 bit.ly/488hHqs

Kaley Nicholson is the Federation's next CEO. ✊🏾

A proud Koorie woman with an MIBL and Beyonce quote on her bedroom wall, she's – as of yesterday morning – officially our CEO. We couldn't be more thrilled.

"Everything I do is for my community, and working with the Federation is no exception. I’m excited and honoured to take up the challenge of leading the Federation into this next phase, where we’ll see Traditional Owner Treaty negotiations begin, an even stronger focus on Traditional Owners’ economic rights and leadership, and fierce advocacy on the collective priorities of Victorian Traditional Owner groups."

Read our statement 👉🏾 bit.ly/488hHqs
... See MoreSee Less

Animals have deep, ancient cultural significance to Traditional Owner groups. 

Which is why we’re concerned early discussions about potentially banning fur sales in Victoria aren’t recognising Traditional Owners’ rights and interests.

It’s not just about possums and kangaroos: it’s about self-determination, Indigenous cultural intellectual property, and how any decisions would interact with future co-governance arrangements for culturally significant species. 

And we’re saying that loudly!

We’re excited to be joining Traditional Owner groups and other stakeholders at next week’s workshop on the proposed sale of animal fur in Victoria, hosted by MPs Georgie Purcell and Ryan Batchelor.

There, we’ll share our views on how any future scheme managing fur sales could respect Traditional Owner groups’ rights and interests, meet their priorities and expectations, and support their ongoing connection with and stewardship of Country.

Animals have deep, ancient cultural significance to Traditional Owner groups.

Which is why we’re concerned early discussions about potentially banning fur sales in Victoria aren’t recognising Traditional Owners’ rights and interests.

It’s not just about possums and kangaroos: it’s about self-determination, Indigenous cultural intellectual property, and how any decisions would interact with future co-governance arrangements for culturally significant species.

And we’re saying that loudly!

We’re excited to be joining Traditional Owner groups and other stakeholders at next week’s workshop on the proposed sale of animal fur in Victoria, hosted by MPs Georgie Purcell and Ryan Batchelor.

There, we’ll share our views on how any future scheme managing fur sales could respect Traditional Owner groups’ rights and interests, meet their priorities and expectations, and support their ongoing connection with and stewardship of Country.
... See MoreSee Less

Heres a snapshot of what some of our team is up to this week! 

🎨 Gabby’s preparing to present on the Workforce Development Framework at the CEO Forum, and reviewing the beautiful submissions we’ve had for freelance artists to illustrate the framework.

🧮 Our accounts steward Ken jokes “one day I will say something different”, but for now is again carefully following up receipts and invoices for payments made through our grants programs. 

📝 Kaley says it’s a “big week of governance”, and Ben can attest to that: they’re preparing for a Board meeting, as well as the upcoming CEO Forum and TOC Caucus meeting. 

💧 Steph’s assisting with drafting the agenda and collating papers for the upcoming TOC Caucus meeting on 11 December, and attending a cultural heritage management workshop and an inland waters target meeting.

🦺 Lisa and Kurt have met with a small business supporting Traditional Owners and local Aboriginal organisations in emergency response and recovery plans, and are connecting them with the CEO Forum to see what support is needed to take this approach statewide.

💎 Daniel’s had our climate-resilience grant administration proposal okayed by some Traditional Owner Corporations and other stakeholders, and is chasing Resources Victoria for a timeline to make its promised partnership payments to Traditional Owner groups to engage in implementation of the Victorian Critical Minerals Roadmap. 

🤝🏻 Kaley’s meet with Natalie Hutchins, the Minister for Treaty and First Peoples, where she pitched the Federation’s unique role in the Aboriginal affairs ecosystem and the need to reinstate our core funding.

🌼 And Sophie’s just finished our November newsletter, is asking our team what they’re most proud of working on this year for next week’s social media content, and buying native blooms!

Here's a snapshot of what some of our team is up to this week!

🎨 Gabby’s preparing to present on the Workforce Development Framework at the CEO Forum, and reviewing the beautiful submissions we’ve had for freelance artists to illustrate the framework.

🧮 Our accounts steward Ken jokes “one day I will say something different”, but for now is again carefully following up receipts and invoices for payments made through our grants programs.

📝 Kaley says it’s a “big week of governance”, and Ben can attest to that: they’re preparing for a Board meeting, as well as the upcoming CEO Forum and TOC Caucus meeting.

💧 Steph’s assisting with drafting the agenda and collating papers for the upcoming TOC Caucus meeting on 11 December, and attending a cultural heritage management workshop and an inland waters target meeting.

🦺 Lisa and Kurt have met with a small business supporting Traditional Owners and local Aboriginal organisations in emergency response and recovery plans, and are connecting them with the CEO Forum to see what support is needed to take this approach statewide.

💎 Daniel’s had our climate-resilience grant administration proposal okayed by some Traditional Owner Corporations and other stakeholders, and is chasing Resources Victoria for a timeline to make its promised partnership payments to Traditional Owner groups to engage in implementation of the Victorian Critical Minerals Roadmap.

🤝🏻 Kaley’s meet with Natalie Hutchins, the Minister for Treaty and First Peoples, where she pitched the Federation’s unique role in the Aboriginal affairs ecosystem and the need to reinstate our core funding.

🌼 And Sophie’s just finished our November newsletter, is asking our team what they’re most proud of working on this year for next week’s social media content, and buying native blooms!
... See MoreSee Less

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