Victorian Traditional Owner Group Initiates Local Treaty Process, a First for Australia

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The Dja Dja Wurrung people of central Victoria have become the first Traditional Owner group to begin the process of local treaty making in the state.

The Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation (DJAARA) – representing the Dja Dja Wurrung people – has registered with the state’s independent treaty umpire, the Treaty Authority, formally flagging that it is ready to negotiate a treaty with the state government.

Rodney Carter, the CEO of DJARRA, said it was important for the local community to finally have a say on their Country.

“Since the 1830s, non-Aboriginal People have used Country’s resources to generate incredible wealth, establishing intergenerational advantage and privilege, while Djaara have been excluded,” he said,

“Our homelands have been turned upside down, and we’ve been prevented from practising our Culture. The playing field has been nowhere near level.”

Treaty will provide opportunities for us

DJARRA will conduct consultations with the community to determine what a treaty should focus on, and it will also form a delegation of people responsible for negotiating with the state government.

Once this process is complete, the state government will be formally invited to start the negotiation process.

“Local Treaty will be led by our mob and focus on the issues that are important here on Dja Dja Wurrung Country,” said Djaran Murray-Jackson, a director of the DJAARA board.

“Country, our connection to the land, is such an important part of who we are as Aboriginal people. So, there’s no doubt that initiatives around land and caring for Country, as articulated in our Dhelkunya Dja, Dja Dja Wurrung Country Plan, will be a focus for the negotiations.”

Once a Traditional Owner group registers to negotiate a treaty, a public notification is made and the Treaty Authority works with the group to ensure they’re fully prepared for the process.

Treaty Authority member and Gunditjmara woman Thelma Austin said it was a major step forward for First Nations people in Victoria.

“We look forward to overseeing a fair and just process with the Treaty Authority’s role in facilitating the journey towards justice, self-determination and empowerment for First Peoples, and to build a solid foundation for reconciliation for all Victorians,” she said.

Dja Dja Wurrung Country encompasses a large portion of central Victoria, including Bendigo, Daysleford, and St Arnaud.

Co-Chair of the First Peoples Assembly of Victoria Rueben Berg congratulated DJARRA on the significant step forward for Dja Dja Wurrung people.

“When it comes to Aboriginal communities, cultures, lands and languages, the experts are of course Aboriginal people, and local Treaties will allow Traditional Owner groups to make the most of their local expertise to improve the lives of their people,” he said.

The Assembly is currently in the process of negotiating a state wide treaty with the Victorian Government, with an update on the process expected in the coming weeks.