Australia’s Victoria State signs first Treaty with Indigenous People
Melbourne,Australia – Victoria state has formally signed a treaty with its Indigenous population,marking a historic first for Australia and a significant step towards reconciliation. The treaty,enacted December 12,includes a formal apology to Indigenous people and establishes a permanent representative body to advise the Victorian government on issues including healthcare,housing,education,and culture.
“Today begins a new chapter in the story of our state,” said Premier Jacinta Allan at the signing ceremony in Melbourne. “When people can have a real say in issues that affect their lives, their prospects improve, and our state becomes more just.”
australia has lagged behind other former colonies – including the United States, Canada, and New Zealand – in formally recognizing the rights of its original inhabitants. As British colonization began in 1788, the Indigenous population has faced systemic discrimination, violence, and dispossession, including a “White Australia” policy and the forced removal of children from their families until the 1970s.
Approximately one million Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people currently experience socio-economic outcomes below the national average.
The treaty represents “an vital recognition of the people’s right to self-determination,” according to a law professor at the University of New South Wales, and is expected to influence treaty negotiations in other Australian states.
The move follows a 2023 national referendum in which nearly 60 percent of Australians voted against a proposed constitutional amendment to recognize Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the original inhabitants and establish a constitutional role for them. Treaty talks in Victoria began in 2016.
