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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

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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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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Economy

Economic development supports community wellbeing and is critical to enabling activation of rights and self-determination of our People.

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

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There are five weeks until the cessation of native timber forestry in Victoria.

Without Traditional Owner rights being upheld, responsibilities respected and genuine decision making on Country enabled, Victoria’s forested Country will continue to be unwell. 

For the benefit of Country and all Victorians, it’s essential @Steve Dimopoulos MP, partners with us to heal Country and prioritises Traditional Owner rights and Knowledge when it comes to what’s next for Victoria’s native forests.

#DontStopNow

There are five weeks until the cessation of native timber forestry in Victoria.

Without Traditional Owner rights being upheld, responsibilities respected and genuine decision making on Country enabled, Victoria’s forested Country will continue to be unwell.

For the benefit of Country and all Victorians, it’s essential @Steve Dimopoulos MP, partners with us to heal Country and prioritises Traditional Owner rights and Knowledge when it comes to what’s next for Victoria’s native forests.

#DontStopNow
... See MoreSee Less

GMTOAC are proposing to host an on-country camp for Mob from 22 - 26 January 2024. The camp will be based at Lake Condah Mission with trips and activities into different parts of Gunditjmara Country. We are hoping to yarn together about weeyn (fire) and pareeyt (water) and connect to country, culture and each other through a range of activities. More details to follow soon.. ... See MoreSee Less

Progressing Traditional Owner rights through Local Government is essential to all of community wellbeing. 

Our CEO, Paul Paton, is playing a critical role as a member of the Victorian Aboriginal and Local Government Strategy Working Group, who met this week on Wadawurrung Country.

Progressing Traditional Owner rights through Local Government is essential to all of community wellbeing.

Our CEO, Paul Paton, is playing a critical role as a member of the Victorian Aboriginal and Local Government Strategy Working Group, who met this week on Wadawurrung Country.
... See MoreSee Less

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