Victoria's Pioneering Indigenous Truth-Telling Commission Concludes, Revealing Hidden Histories

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The nation’s inaugural truth telling inquiry has released its final report, which includes 100 recommendations for urgent reforms.

After four years of testimonies and evidence from over 200 witnesses, the Yoorrook Justice Commission’s work has finally concluded.

Among the recommendations are calls for redress from the state government via the treaty process for all damages and loss stemming from colonial invasion and occupation of Indigenous peoples’ lands.

This would include redress for economic loss, interest and redress for cultural loss.

Yoorrook recommends that redress could involve monetary compensation, tax relief, and the return of traditional lands, waters, and resources.

Other recommendations cover areas from education and housing all the way to health and land rights.

The Yoorrook Truth Be Told report – acting as a public record of the state’s history – has also made several key findings.

These include that the sovereignty of First Nations peoples has never been ceded; Victoria’s initial occupation was illegal and that colonial laws and policies would amount to genocidal acts by today’s standards.

The reports have been welcomed by the First Peoples Assembly of Victoria.

Co-chair of the First Peoples Assembly Ngarra Murray said the work of Yoorrook had been ground breaking.

“For the first time, our peoples have had our stories truly heard and valued through a process led by First Peoples, grounded in our culture and lore,” she said.

“Yoorrook has intricately woven the narratives of individual First People’s experiences into a comprehensive account of our collective history, and for the first time, this shared history has been revealed to many non-Aboriginal Victorians because of Yoorrook.”

This would not have been possible without the courage and resistance of our peoples – thank you to all First Peoples across the state who provided evidence and shared your story with Yoorrook.

Ngarra Murray, First Peoples Assembly of Victoria

Yoorrook, which means “truth” in the Wemba Wemba/ Wamba Wamba language, was set up in 2021 as the nation’s first truth telling inquiry.

With the powers of a royal commission, the inquiry was given the mandate to investigate all injustices faced by Indigenous people in Victoria dating back to the beginning of colonisation.

Hearings investigated topics covering health, education, economic prosperity, criminal justice, child protection, and land rights among other areas.

Commissioners heard evidence from Elders, Indigenous people, descendants of early colonisers, public servants, and politicians, including 16 separate apologies from ministers and government officials.

Over its 67 days of public hearings, Yoorrook heard from more than 200 witnesses in total, and received evidence from around 1500 First Nations people.

Landmark treaty negotiations underway

The handing down of Yoorrook’s final report comes as the state government continues negotiations with the First Peoples Assembly of Victoria on a statewide treaty.

A major part of the negotiations concern the ongoing role of the Assembly itself.

Established in 2018 and holding its first elections the following year, the First Peoples Assembly is a democratically elected Indigenous representative body focussed on advancing the treaty making process.

Co-chair Rueben Berg said the Assembly must be given greater powers to advocate for mob.

“Negotiations on the first statewide treaty have focussed on First Peoples’ ongoing representation in Victoria and mechanisms an evolved Assembly will have to keep the government accountable to positive outcomes for First Peoples, including on Yoorrook’s recommendations,” he said.

“While Yoorrook has wrapped up, truth telling is an ongoing process and our negotiations have also included how the Assembly will make sure our peoples can continue to have our truths heard, recorded and shared.”

While Opposition Leader Brad Battin attempted to draw a comparison between the request and the failed 2023 Voice to Parliament referendum, Premier Jacinta Allan said on Monday it would simply be a matter of ensuring work the Assembly has been doing since 2018 would continue.

“This is not changing the Victorian constitution, it’s simply taking a commonsense approach: sitting the First Peoples Assembly – an ongoing representative body – into our existing parliamentary structures,” she said.

“The significant change is that it will be a body where we will be listening and taking on their advice.”

While originally a bipartisan process, the Liberal National Opposition has abandoned its support for the treaty process.

Ms Allan said the government was carefully considering the reports.

“Thank you to the Commission for these historic reports – they shine a light on hard truths and lay the foundations for a better future for all Victorians,” she said.

“Victoria’s truth-telling process is a historic opportunity to hear the stories of our past that have been buried – these are stories that all Victorians need to hear.”