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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

Discussion papers
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Information sheets
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Publications
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Weve just stepped off the witness stand at a national critical minerals inquiry.

Federation CEO Kaley Nicholson was called to speak to the parliamentary inquiry examining the factors shaping social license for critical minerals mining projects, including engagement with Traditional Owners and regional economic development – two things Traditional Owner Corporations know a lot about. 

Their work to co-design models for agreement-making and equitable benefit-sharing in mining formed the backbone of our submission and testimony: practical, pragmatic and proven examples of how to balance interests, create certainty, respect self-determination, and ensure new forms of mining dont repeat the mistakes of the past.

Read more 👉🏾 bit.ly/4e4R5td

We've just stepped off the witness stand at a national critical minerals inquiry.

Federation CEO Kaley Nicholson was called to speak to the parliamentary inquiry examining the factors shaping social license for critical minerals mining projects, including engagement with Traditional Owners and regional economic development – two things Traditional Owner Corporations know a lot about.

Their work to co-design models for agreement-making and equitable benefit-sharing in mining formed the backbone of our submission and testimony: practical, pragmatic and proven examples of how to balance interests, create certainty, respect self-determination, and ensure new forms of mining don't repeat the mistakes of the past.

Read more 👉🏾 bit.ly/4e4R5td
... See MoreSee Less

Election promises for cultural fire are welcome – but must be matched with a long-term commitment to Traditional Owner care for Country.

Read our Election Platform 👉🏾 bit.ly/4zLBiI5

Election promises for cultural fire are welcome – but must be matched with a long-term commitment to Traditional Owner care for Country.

Read our Election Platform 👉🏾 bit.ly/4zLBiI5
... See MoreSee Less

Some good news.

Some good news. ... See MoreSee Less

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