Evidence Library

The author has a broad understanding of colonisation’s impact on First Peoples but feels Victoria’s education system was extremely limited in teaching First Nations history and culture. They advocate for place-based knowledge, respect for Elders, and a shift towards a “Caring for Country” model. They also support truth-telling, treaty, and self-determination for First Peoples, and advocate for a commitment to life-long learning and creating new foundations.

Read Beth Sometimes experiences and thoughts as an Aotearoa migrant that has lived on Pitjantjatjara, Arrernte and Wurundjeri countries. She explores how power operates between peoples and cultures, emphasising the need to examine these systems and reimagine ways to live on these lands in harmony with the deep knowledge here accumulated over thousands of years.

Jason Gamble is a Palawa man who lives in Victoria. He feels isolated because of the genocide in Tasmania and now aims to live a simple life living off the land but spends much of his time in a battle with authorities. He is concerned about culture and heritage and being free to live with the land.

GECO is a volunteer-based community group focused on protecting the forests of far East Gippsland. Its submission outlines witnessing Traditional Owners’ opposition to logging being ignored and Traditional Owners being refused entry to their Country during campaigns to protect the forests. It also describes Traditional Owners being refused native title, under a biased system where their inability to prove connection to country in terms of Government requirements is a result of the impacts of colonisation.

Anonymous 1275 is a descendant of farmers in Victoria’s west. They describe the racism against First Peoples they have seen growing up in school, and later in adult life as a historian.

David Barton’s submission to Yoorrook comprises an article titled, The Decline and Rise of the Aboriginal Population in Victoria. 

Katherine Mullett is a Gunaikurnai Monero Ngarigo woman who grew up on Country, learning about it from her father. She has worked as an Indigenous Ranger, working in cultural heritage and fire management. She describes how the cultural heritage work did not respect First Peoples knowledge or culture and the many challenges she faced in the workplace and personally as a Traditional Owner, trying to improve the systems and processes to protect Country and cultural sites.

Phil Howe is a proud Gurra Gurra man.

In this submission, he shares his life journey in the hopes that mob who have come from a similar walk of life can find their connection, or reconnect, with their Aboriginality. He reflects on the disconnect from imposed imperial culture, finding strength and healing through community and cultural connection, language, healing Country, his artwork, and more.

This submission discusses the devastating effects of colonisation on First Peoples and calls for allowing First Peoples to look after the environment.