We are the independent and democratically elected representatives of Traditional Owners of Country and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the shared journey to Treaty in Victoria.
External link for First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria
48 Cambridge Street
Collingwood, Victoria 3066, AU
Australia’s first Treaty is now law👏🏽 Assembly members gathered yesterday evening to sign Australia’s first Treaty at Birrarung Wilam, surrounded by family and Community. Grounded in culture, the ceremony included a stirring performance from Uncle Kutcha Edwards and a powerful speech delivered by Uncle Alan Brown from the Elders' Voice. Thank you to Uncle Andrew Gardiner and Uncle Bill Nicholson for welcoming us on to Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country. This morning, the Assembly met with the Government and the Governor of Victoria where the signing was finalised. Thank you to everyone who has walked with us on this journey of Truth and Treaty. Now let's continue the work to build a better future for generations to come ✊🏽
If you want to be part of Team Treaty we've jobs going right now 💼 There are Metro Engagement Project Officer positions currently open. These positions are for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people. You can apply at: https://lnkd.in/gXKS8WE5
Here’s our Treaty top 3. To learn more, go to: firstpeoplesvic.org/treaty
We’re 🤏 this close to Treaty. Enrol now to be part of it. If you're Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, 16 or older, and lived here for 3 years, you're eligible to enrol with the Assembly. Join the journey today! firstpeoplesvic.org/enrol
When something comes along that reminds us of the transformative power of a speech or a piece of lawmaking – of the capacity of parliaments to genuinely inspire – you don’t want to miss the moment. Peter Dutton reflected on this after his decision to boycott the apology to the stolen generations delivered by former prime minister Kevin Rudd. The Liberal Party didn’t agree with the apology, but Dutton came to regret missing the moment and the message this sent. There was a moment in the Victorian parliament on Tuesday when Ngarra Murray and Rueben Berg, the co-chairs of the First Peoples’ Assembly, walked onto the green carpet of the Legislative Assembly to tell us what a treaty means to Aboriginal people. “No longer will policies be made about us, without us,” said Murray, a fourth-generation Aboriginal activist. Berg, a qualified architect now responsible for the grand designs of Gellung Warl – the self-governance architecture to be created by the treaty legislation – had not come cap in hand. “This is not a favour asked, but a right recognised,” he said. This was a moment, perhaps the moment in the life of this parliament, and the opposition missed it.