Elias Jarvis

I think it’s a bit bittersweet. You know, we live in a time where there’s great social policy developments with treaty. But it’s also really tough. Like, you know, there’s still rampant racism and I guess. Shortcomings from the government in things like Yoorrook just heard that only four recommendations were supported by the government. So, yeah, you know, surrounded by a beautiful
community. But, you know, it’s still tough. Like, you know, we’ve come a long way, but there’s still a long way to go.

I think self-determination for me is a complete control handed back to our communities. I think a lot of the time people think, you know, it’s having a couple of mob around the table. But I think complete self-determination requires mob making all of the decisions for our mob. Yeah

I think where our land is, it’s really just conflicting because, you know, you see, intergenerational farmers who kind of made an illegitimate claim to the land being able to, you know, profit and generate intergenerational wealth, whereas, you know, our mob are still, I guess, economically behind in a sense and as well like to practice our culture, like, you know, your land is at the crux  of culture. And if you can’t access your land on your terms, like how are you meant to practice your culture? Well, you can’t like that’s the-

I think across like the whole community-controlled sector, like our co-ops are so innovative in the way that they’re able to, you know, provide for our mob and still, you know, work within the system. Yeah. So all the co-ops out there, I guess. Yeah