‘It’s given us hope’: The Indigenous clan that finally has a seat at the table

The First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria has a new member, with the Wamba Wemba people from the state’s north-west gaining a seat at the table.

It is the first Indigenous group to hold a guaranteed seat on the assembly without first being recognised by the government, marking a major step forward in Aboriginal decision-making powers in the state.

Wamba Wemba Aboriginal Corporation chair Lowana Moore (left) and Wamba elder Aunty Hazel Atkinson on Thursday.Credit: Luis Ascui

A unanimous decision on the Wamba Wemba reserved seat came after a vote was put to the full assembly on Thursday morning during its chamber meeting on Gunaikurnai Country at Lakes Entrance, in the state’s east.

The assembly consists of a mix of reserved seat holders and democratically elected general members, who hold their seats for a three-year term, but its composition has drawn criticism from the Indigenous community since its inception four years ago for not being representative of all traditional owner groups in Victoria.

Wamba Wemba’s new seat will bring the number of seats in the assembly to 33, with 22 seats elected by communities in particular regions and the remaining 11 elected by traditional owner groups with formally recognised Aboriginal party status.

Such status is evaluated and awarded through the Aboriginal Heritage Council, and under legislation provides holders with the responsibility for assessing cultural heritage permit applications, evaluating cultural heritage management plans, and making decisions about cultural heritage agreements.

Assembly co-chair Gunditjmara man Rueben Berg said it was important that treaty “wasn’t confined by the limitations of government systems and colonial legacies”.

“The assembly created the additional pathway to recognition, so mob can decide who is who and how we organise ourselves. It’s fantastic to see it working, and we’re really thrilled to be celebrating Wamba Wemba’s inclusion in the assembly with a new reserved seat,” Berg said.

His comments follow recent calls from traditional owners for the Aboriginal Heritage Council to hand its responsibilities for cultural heritage management over to the assembly.

Wamba Wemba Aboriginal Corporation is expected to appoint its representative in time for the assembly’s June meeting, ahead of the first round of treaty negotiations with the Victorian government.

In a statement, the Wamba Wemba group said it had submitted more than 1000 pages of historical and anthropological documentation to the assembly, including oral histories and traditions of the Wamba Wemba people.

“This decision by the [assembly] is testament to the strength of the Wamba Wemba elders, who have actively pursued the battle for their rights over Country for most of their lives. They have built upon the legacy of their parents and grandparents, and succeeded despite the unsurmountable barriers that have at times been put in front of them,” it said.

“The Wamba Wemba people see this as a major step in self-determination and freedom from the bureaucratic interference in asserting their rights and interests.”

Victoria’s First People’s Assembly members vote on a motion to provide a reserved seat to the Wamba Wemba people.Credit: Leroy Miller

Wamba Wemba Country covers the Murray, Edwards and Wakool Rivers in the state’s far north-west, extending across the NSW and Victorian border from north of Swan Hill, south-east along the Murray River to Koondrook, then west to Birchip, before heading north to Lake Tyrrell and back east to Swan Hill via Tyrrell Downs and Chillingollah.

Wamba elder Aunty Hazel Atkinson said the win was a great step forward in ensuring the assembly was “a truly representative body for all the First Nation clans in Victoria”.

“We grew up with my grandfather, who was born on Wamba country in the mid-1800s. He lived for over 105 years. His first language was Wamba, and we feel very proud that we have been able to keep his spirit and legacy alive,” Atkinson said.

“The elders of the Wamba Wemba Aboriginal Corporation have worked tirelessly to advocate for their rights to be heard and recognised over their traditional lands and waters for many decades.”

The First Peoples’ Assembly unanimously voted to give a reserved seat to the Wamba Wemba Aboriginal Corporation, the first group to be included that has not been recognised by the state.Credit: Leroy Miller

Wamba Wemba Aboriginal Corporation chair Lowana Moore said she joined the board last May after watching her aunty fight for formal recognition for many years.

“I could see my aunty was getting tired, and I thought, it’s now time I step up.”

“I received a call from Aunty Hazel a few weeks ago, as she calls me every week for an update, but this time was different – she broke down and asked me: ‘Why can’t we get recognition, are we going to be recognised in my lifetime? I’m getting tired.’ She asked me if she would be alive to see it. It was hard to respond, it was very emotional,” Moore said.

“The decision has lifted our spirits again. It’s due recognition of the hard work of our elders to get to this stage, and it’s given us hope and paves the way for other traditional owner groups who should be recognised by the assembly and the state. We shouldn’t be made to feel like we are poor cousins.”

Moore said the group was still waiting to hear from the Aboriginal Heritage Council regarding its application for recognised Aboriginal party status, but had not heard from the government body since it requested additional information last November.

“We don’t understand why it’s taken so long. The council still hasn’t come back to us to give us any news. There’s been no explanation of a transparent process for accessing the application,” Moore said.

Next month, the assembly will host a statewide gathering of the clans in Geelong to gather community input and feedback on the priorities to take into the first round of treaty negotiations with the government.

One of four key topics will include discussions on the process and timetable for transferring decision-making powers from the government to First Peoples, a spokesperson for the assembly said.