Anonymous 1242

My understanding is limited – but I am aware there was enormous dislocation and genocide of First Peoples in Victoria. That First Peoples were driven off their land and have not had the opportunity to receive the benefits of that land for many generations. I am aware that they were punished for trying to continue their cultural practices and speak their language. They continue to be disproportionately incarcerated and subject to discrimination. Even places like Coranderrk were eventually taken away from First Peoples as more and more limitations and controls were imposed on the lives of Aboriginal Victorians. But I also know they remain strong – and their connection to land and Country remain strong – despite the efforts of colonisation to separate them from their land. I know that the Sovereignty of First Peoples in Victoria has never been ceded and that this remains Aboriginal land and will continue to do so.

It was extremely limited. We were told many lies about First Nations history. That First Nations people did not ‘resist’ colonisation. That they ‘benefited overall’ from colonisation. That they had been ‘bred out’ and there were no ‘true’ First Nations people left in Victoria. In the 1970s and 1980s when I went to school and university, we learn ridiculous fables about how all First Nations people were exactly the same – there was no recognition of the specific experiences, cultural, history or contribution of First Nations peoples in Victoria. There are still not enough opportunities for non-First Nations Victorians to engage with the TRUTH of First Nations History and culture – and the enormous richness. This must be addressed by the government in response to the findings of the Yoorrook Justice Commission.

Much more information provided by the government. A Treaty, or series of treaties, negotiated between the government and First Nations who hold sovereignty over this Country.

By becoming educated (as I have tried to do), and by listening carefully to the stories of First Nations Victorians and taking on board the experiences.

By becoming educated (as I have tried to do), and by listening carefully to the stories of First Nations Victorians and taking on board the experiences.