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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 on Country. The Federation works in the following areas to embed Traditional Owner voices in management of Country.

View our work for Country

Community

Community wellbeing means strong culture, people and place.

The Federation’s work recognises Traditional Owner Corporations as authoritative and representative decision-makers with rights and power. Our advocacy and services support Traditional Owners to get on with the business of caring 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, 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 advocacy body, helping to enhance their authority on behalf of their communities.

Our strategy

Resources

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Information sheets
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Publications
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Photos from Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations's post ... See MoreSee Less

Tell Victoria’s environmental regulator how Country should be cared for in a two-day forum for Traditional Owners. 

The Environment Protection Authority Victoria is the state agency responsible for protecting against harm caused by pollution. Established in 1971, it’s one of the world’s oldest environmental regulators – but, of course, those 55 years are a drop in the ocean of Traditional Owners’ experience protecting Country. This opportunity for knowledge-sharing and collaboration is a long time coming, and very welcome.

The EPA will cover accommodation and catering costs, and its focus includes:

🟡 Traditional Owners telling EPA’s leadership about their priorities for protecting Country
🟡 Feedback on a policy guiding how the EPA incorporates cultural values into its work
🟡 Knowledge-exchange between Traditional Owners and the EPA

Registrations close today. More information 👉🏾 bit.ly/3PjBmMZ

Tell Victoria’s environmental regulator how Country should be cared for in a two-day forum for Traditional Owners.

The Environment Protection Authority Victoria is the state agency responsible for protecting against harm caused by pollution. Established in 1971, it’s one of the world’s oldest environmental regulators – but, of course, those 55 years are a drop in the ocean of Traditional Owners’ experience protecting Country. This opportunity for knowledge-sharing and collaboration is a long time coming, and very welcome.

The EPA will cover accommodation and catering costs, and its focus includes:

🟡 Traditional Owners telling EPA’s leadership about their priorities for protecting Country
🟡 Feedback on a policy guiding how the EPA incorporates cultural values into its work
🟡 Knowledge-exchange between Traditional Owners and the EPA

Registrations close today. More information 👉🏾 bit.ly/3PjBmMZ
... See MoreSee Less

Photos from Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations's post ... See MoreSee Less

We’re successfully in Collins Street! And working hard.

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

🔥 Kurt’s continuing the semi-structured interviews that make up a rich-and-flexible part of the Nation Building Resource Pool final reporting, and finishing that cultural fire funding opportunities paper…

🎨 Which our comms person Sophie’s waiting eagerly for, for some branding and proof-reading before next week’s Cultural Fire Leadership Group meeting.

💎 Daniel’s learning more about how agreement-making in critical minerals mining is actually happening between Traditional Owners and project proponents – and feeding Traditional Owners’ views into the agenda for our forthcoming Treaty Forum.

✅ Gabby and Steph are progressing TOC Caucus actions and policy deliverables.

🤝🏽 Kaley’s meeting with advisors to the minister for Treaty and First People, Ros Spence, and keeping the CHMP Systems Reform workshop outcomes on track.

🏢 Ben’s coordinating minutes and actions following last week’s meeting of our Board, and helping Ken with the office move (which he described as “pretty painless” so far!).

☕ And were on the hunt for lunch and coffee recommendations near our new office at 525 Collins Street, Melbourne – send us a message if youve got a favourite spot.

We’re successfully in Collins Street! And working hard.

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

🔥 Kurt’s continuing the semi-structured interviews that make up a rich-and-flexible part of the Nation Building Resource Pool final reporting, and finishing that cultural fire funding opportunities paper…

🎨 Which our comms person Sophie’s waiting eagerly for, for some branding and proof-reading before next week’s Cultural Fire Leadership Group meeting.

💎 Daniel’s learning more about how agreement-making in critical minerals mining is actually happening between Traditional Owners and project proponents – and feeding Traditional Owners’ views into the agenda for our forthcoming Treaty Forum.

✅ Gabby and Steph are progressing TOC Caucus actions and policy deliverables.

🤝🏽 Kaley’s meeting with advisors to the minister for Treaty and First People, Ros Spence, and keeping the CHMP Systems Reform workshop outcomes on track.

🏢 Ben’s coordinating minutes and actions following last week’s meeting of our Board, and helping Ken with the office move (which he described as “pretty painless” so far!).

☕ And we're on the hunt for lunch and coffee recommendations near our new office at 525 Collins Street, Melbourne – send us a message if you've got a favourite spot.
... See MoreSee Less

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