First steps on the path to history
A 30-year-old entrepreneur, artist and mother of two is one of those seeking election to the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria.
Kenita-Lee McCartney is quietly treading the path to history.
The 30-year-old entrepreneur, artist, disability worker and mother of two is one of about 60 candidates seeking election to the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, which will set the framework for the first Aboriginal treaty.
Ms McCartney is no guarantee of being elected in the state’s northwest province but her vision is simple and ambitious at the same time: more jobs, less racism, land for her people to practise their traditions and a greater understanding of indigenous history.
“I see myself as being an advocate,’’ she says, “making sure that their message is being put across in the foundation of the treaty process.’’
Candidate nominations for the assembly closed yesterday and about 60 people will vie for 21 seats across five provinces. Another 11 seats have been reserved for traditional owner groups, making a 32-seat assembly.
Ms McCartney’s is a vast electorate covering thousands of square kilometres of the state to Mildura, Bendigo, Horsham and scores of towns in between.
Her people are diverse, her father being Wotjibolik and Wemba Wemba and her mother Wiradjuri.
She has lived the daily challenges of Aboriginal life in Australia but doesn’t want to wear any of the pain or the depth of her personal story on her sleeve.
She has settled in Swan Hill, on the Murray, 340km north of Melbourne, where the river starts to widen before heading towards Tooleybuc.
She wants her people to have the opportunity to one day gather on their own land by the river, tell their stories and teach their traditions. “Having our own place where we would just be Aboriginal people,’’ she says. “Practise our culture and traditions that have been going on for 80,000 years plus. That’s a very big one for me.
“So many people in our community dream to live on the river but we don’t have the opportunity.’’
Voting will be held between September 16 and October 20, with the elected body then developing the treaty framework.
The treaties themselves will be negotiated between the different indigenous groups and the government. It could involve land, compensation, access to country or a greater say in the community.
The assembly will also work alongside government to set up a treaty authority, which will act as the independent umpire during the treaty process
The treaty negotiating framework will set out how treaties can be agreed in Victoria and a self-determination fund will be created so that indigenous groups can deal with government on a level playing field regarding legal and other advice.
Ms McCartney is one of two grassroots candidates in her area and she suspects interest from the non-Aboriginal community is low. “The general population? I don’t think they really care. Hopefully, one day that will be different,’’ she says.
Jill Gallagher, the Victorian Treaty Advancement Commissioner, says she believes the process will strengthen her people.
“Everyone can have their say,’’ she said. “It’s too early to say what treaties might include. but I believe things like truth-telling, reparations for the past, and strengthening our culture will all be part of the conversation.’’
