Submissions

Steph Tashkoff, a teacher, describes the ongoing impact of colonisation and stolen land she sees first-hand on young Koorie people. She highlights the financial insecurity due to a lack of generational wealth, structural racism, trauma, and distrust of white institutions she has witnessed. She shares her family’s history on Gulidjan Country, acknowledging the lack of recognition for the land’s original owners and expressing hope for a more positive community through truth-telling.

Meyer Eidelson is the President of the Middle Park and Albert Park History Group. The submission discusses the former Aboriginal Graveyard 1842 at Queen Victoria Market, highlighting its historical significance and the exhumation of Indigenous bodies in 1877. They call for the City of Melbourne to apologise for the graveyard’s destruction, protect remaining Aboriginal remains, and ensure respectful interpretation and appropriate memorial/s.

Sian Prior, a sixty-year-old white person, acknowledges their privilege and the injustices faced by First Nations people in Australia. They call for truth-telling, a treaty, and self-determination for First Nations communities, suggesting a percentage of land tax to support these initiatives. They emphasise the need to recognise the value of First Nations culture and the contributions of First Nations people to Australian society.

Jackie Mansourian recalls a childhood incident of racism that sparked her curiosity about First Peoples, which was not addressed in her education. She later learned through an Aboriginal Studies elective and placement with the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service. She believes non-Indigenous Australians need to unlearn fears and assumptions, engage with First Peoples’ voices, and hold the government accountable for treaty negotiations.

Anonymous 1501, who grew up outside Victoria, is still learning about the state’s colonisation and its impacts. They appreciate the Yoorrook Commission’s work and advocate for continued efforts. They found their children’s education on First Nations history to be insufficient and suggest more comprehensive approaches, including field trips and cultural safety training. They call for bipartisan support for Voice, Truth, and Treaty, and propose various ways to promote First Peoples’ history and culture, such as public broadcasts, revitalised curricula, and civic acknowledgments.

In this submission, Peter Noble shares his learning about Victoria’s colonisation through various sources and advocates for treaties, improved education, and cultural site protection. He suggests non-First Nations Victorians participate in truth-telling and support self-determination. He promotes First Peoples history and culture through school and university curricula, cultural events, and place markers.

Joanna Cruickshank outlines their knowledge of the devastating and ongoing impacts of Victoria’s colonisation, noting the rapid and violent invasion, lack of treaties, prevention of practicing law and culture, and continued systemic harm. A university lecturer, they criticise the limited education on First Nations history and advocate for genuine power for First Peoples, compulsory Indigenous studies, and truth-telling through education and the arts.

This submission is from a Blak woman who grew up in the 50s and 60s, experiencing racism in systems that were supposed to treat her equally but didn’t. She feels lucky to have had amazing parents and a large family, who taught her to be proud and to fight for justice. She recalls participating in protests that helped shape Australia’s respect for Aboriginal people and feels proud of those times. She expresses concern about the potential election of a right-wing government that wants to strip away Aboriginal rights and hopes we all unite with our allies and rise up and fight against the stripping away hard fought for rights.