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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 with Country. The Federation’s policy, advocacy and government relations work helps restore Traditional Owners’ authority in frameworks for managing of Country.

View our work for Country

Community

Community wellbeing means strong culture.

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

Our strategy

Resources

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Publications
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Theres a Victorian Traditional Owner helping mob manage Country, and hes a friend of the Federation – congratulations, Marcus Stewart!

Were thrilled to see our former CEO and Board Director, Marcus Stewart AM, appointed today to the Board of the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation – the body helping Traditional Owner communities to acquire and manage land and water, to deliver enduring cultural, social, environmental and economic benefits. 

Marcus is a proud Nira iIllim bulluk man from the Taungurung Nation (Taungurung Land & Waters Council!) and a whip-smart, staunch, and strategic leader. Youd know him as the former First Peoples Assembly of Victoria co-chair and passionate advocate for Traditional Owners cultures, voice, authority and rights.

Congratulations, Marcus – and congratulations, ILSC. ✊🏽

There's a Victorian Traditional Owner helping mob manage Country, and he's a friend of the Federation – congratulations, Marcus Stewart!

We're thrilled to see our former CEO and Board Director, Marcus Stewart AM, appointed today to the Board of the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation – the body helping Traditional Owner communities to acquire and manage land and water, to deliver enduring cultural, social, environmental and economic benefits.

Marcus is a proud Nira iIllim bulluk man from the Taungurung Nation (Taungurung Land & Waters Council!) and a whip-smart, staunch, and strategic leader. You'd know him as the former First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria co-chair and passionate advocate for Traditional Owners' cultures, voice, authority and rights.

Congratulations, Marcus – and congratulations, ILSC. ✊🏽
... See MoreSee Less

Thanks, AIATSIS Summit!

Our CEO Kaley was up on the conference stage today talking about the unique barriers Victorian Traditional Owners face to participating in development on their Country, and their novel workarounds to ensure new industries do things differently.

We were joined by Taungurung Land & Waters Councils CEO Matt Burns, who shared the real-world example of how Taungurungs cultural, environmental, social governance certificate framework leads to partnerships that centre Country, share benefits with community, and grow a sustainable future. 

Our key message: its not just about making agreements to do mining nicely. Its about recognising and respecting Traditional Owners enduring and underlying rights and obligations to Country.

Thanks for having us, AIATSIS 🤝🏽

Thanks, AIATSIS Summit!

Our CEO Kaley was up on the conference stage today talking about the unique barriers Victorian Traditional Owners face to participating in development on their Country, and their novel workarounds to ensure new industries do things differently.

We were joined by Taungurung Land & Waters Council's CEO Matt Burns, who shared the real-world example of how Taungurung's cultural, environmental, social governance certificate framework leads to partnerships that centre Country, share benefits with community, and grow a sustainable future.

Our key message: it's not just about making agreements to do mining nicely. It's about recognising and respecting Traditional Owners' enduring and underlying rights and obligations to Country.

Thanks for having us, AIATSIS 🤝🏽
... See MoreSee Less

Its cold, but still beach weather, according to our sandgropers. 

Heres what some of our teams up to this week.

🔴 Steph’s deep in preparation for next week’s TOC Caucus meeting – members, your paper pack just landed in your inbox!

🔴 Lisa’s leading the charge preparing agendas for the upcoming Cultural Fire Leadership Group meeting and CEO Forum.

🔴 Gabby’s meeting TOCs to learn how to overcome the legislative and policy barriers facing the practice of cultural fire, plus pulling together a new publication about the impact of the Nation Building Resource Pool program.

🔴 Daniel and Steph have had a constructive meeting with Resources Victoria, where we reiterated TOCs’ position on the critical minerals benefit-sharing model, and heard the clarity we’ve been seeking to progress the TOC Caucus’ work on critical minerals.

🔴 Kaley’s up on Gold Coast for the AIATSIS Summit conference, where she’s fitting in presentation rehearsal among networking and learning.

🔴 And Sophie had a great time at week’s meeting of our communications community of practice – it’s TOC comms teams talking strategies for maximising member engagement, finding new ways to fund our work, and sharing our wins – and, later, at Williamstown Beach, despite the chill of Bunurong beerreen (no sun) season beating down.

It's cold, but still beach weather, according to our sandgropers.

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

🔴 Steph’s deep in preparation for next week’s TOC Caucus meeting – members, your paper pack just landed in your inbox!

🔴 Lisa’s leading the charge preparing agendas for the upcoming Cultural Fire Leadership Group meeting and CEO Forum.

🔴 Gabby’s meeting TOCs to learn how to overcome the legislative and policy barriers facing the practice of cultural fire, plus pulling together a new publication about the impact of the Nation Building Resource Pool program.

🔴 Daniel and Steph have had a constructive meeting with Resources Victoria, where we reiterated TOCs’ position on the critical minerals benefit-sharing model, and heard the clarity we’ve been seeking to progress the TOC Caucus’ work on critical minerals.

🔴 Kaley’s up on Gold Coast for the AIATSIS Summit conference, where she’s fitting in presentation rehearsal among networking and learning.

🔴 And Sophie had a great time at week’s meeting of our communications community of practice – it’s TOC comms teams talking strategies for maximising member engagement, finding new ways to fund our work, and sharing our wins – and, later, at Williamstown Beach, despite the chill of Bunurong beerreen (no sun) season beating down.
... See MoreSee Less

Honouring Mabo Day 💚💙

Our CEO Kaley had the privilege of hearing Gail and Kaleb Mabo – the daughter and grandson of the land rights pioneer Eddie Mabo – speak today at the AIATSIS Summit.

Powerful and sad, is how Kaley described it: hearing of the enormous burden the family carried, their struggle to have Meriam peoples land rights formally recognised, and the importance of solidarity in the ongoing struggle for land justice.

In the AIATSIS Summit setting its a reminder more powerful than ever of the force that drives all of our work – whatever policy-making, program delivery, research or storytelling were all sharing at this conference, its the drive for First Nations rights to be recognised and respected that unites us all.

Honouring Mabo Day 💚💙

Our CEO Kaley had the privilege of hearing Gail and Kaleb Mabo – the daughter and grandson of the land rights pioneer Eddie Mabo – speak today at the AIATSIS Summit.

Powerful and sad, is how Kaley described it: hearing of the enormous burden the family carried, their struggle to have Meriam peoples' land rights formally recognised, and the importance of solidarity in the ongoing struggle for land justice.

In the AIATSIS Summit setting it's a reminder more powerful than ever of the force that drives all of our work – whatever policy-making, program delivery, research or storytelling we're all sharing at this conference, it's the drive for First Nations' rights to be recognised and respected that unites us all.
... See MoreSee Less

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