00:00Yeah, so a key focus of those powers is going to be the establishment of a First Peoples
00:07Institute, which we see is a really powerful way of building on what Yurok identified as
00:12the past discrimination of First Peoples in the educational system, so that we can make
00:16sure we're enhancing the existing skills and capabilities of our communities to fill key
00:21leadership roles within the future treaty landscape.
00:24And so just how will it go about doing that?
00:27What do you hope it will achieve?
00:30We really want to be able to see an increase in the First Peoples who have the necessary
00:34skills and the experience to be able to step into some of these leadership roles, as I
00:39mentioned, and really make sure that it's got to focus on a First Peoples-led perspective
00:43so that we're having those educational conversations in a culturally grounded way and drawing from
00:48Indigenous knowledge systems as well.
00:50And where does this sit in the broader state of those treaty negotiations?
00:55Yeah, so this is just one of the different components we want to be able to bring into
01:01place as part of the broader treaty conversation.
01:03And this is a treaty conversation we've been having for many years now, and it's exciting
01:07to be progressing to this stage of the process.
01:10Yeah.
01:10And so where are those discussions at at the moment?
01:13I understand there are meetings underway right now.
01:15What's the mood and the state of all of those?
01:18Yeah, it's an exciting moment to be able to continue to progress this work, and we're
01:24still very hopeful of being able to formalise the first statewide treaty by the end of this
01:28year.
01:29And if that does go ahead at the end of this year, what does that mean?
01:34It'll mean a variety of different things, but to me the key thing is that it means resetting
01:39the relationship between First Peoples and the government in a way that ensures greater
01:43ability for First Peoples to influence things that directly affect that.
01:47And there are many, Ruben, you'd be aware, who really point to Victoria as the way to
01:53design, co-design with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people processes to deal with
01:58these really intense questions.
02:01What sort of roadmap do you see your Assembly and Yurok playing for other Aboriginal and Torres
02:06Strait Islander groups and people across the nation?
02:09Yeah, hopefully other jurisdictions can see this as a useful model to draw from.
02:13We're not saying it's a model that everybody has to use, but hopefully there's some learnings
02:18that can be gained, but also to recognise there's powerful learnings to be taken from
02:22overseas, because whilst Victoria is leading the way in these treaty conversations, we're
02:27actually behind in terms of the global approach to this, and all Commonwealth countries around
02:31the world do already have treaties with its First Peoples, so there's many examples globally
02:35to also draw from.
02:37And as well as, of course, being the co-chair of the Assembly, you're an Aboriginal man.
02:42What does this mean for you and for your own people?
02:47Yeah, for me, knowing that my father, back in the 1970s, he was progressing, trying to
02:52progress treaty, and for me to be able to pick up that mantle and continue that work now,
02:56and to know that for my children, they're going to enter into their adulthood where treaty
03:00is just a way of life.
03:01It's been a really powerful journey.
03:03And just finally, what do you say to politicians in your state, in other jurisdictions, as these
03:09conversations and these calls for action are continuing to be called for and really re-emerging?
03:18Yeah, there's nothing to worry about in terms of treaty.
03:21This is about ensuring we're getting better outcomes for First Peoples, and that's not something
03:25that individuals should have to worry about.
03:26And through that, making sure that we get better outcomes for all Victorians, and enabling
03:31all Victorians to better engage with First Peoples culture, and hopefully that's a model
03:34that can be replicated across the country.
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