Esme Bamblett

I am a Bangerang, Taungurung and Wiradjuri woman and as such I am connected to many families in Victoria and NSW. As well as my lived experience as an Aboriginal woman, I have been involved in Aboriginal Affairs for over 50 years in various capacities and I know it is now time to negotiate a Treaty with the State of Victoria.

Our great leaders called for the recognition of our people as the Traditional Owners of country and I believe that a Treaty will finally give us that recognition as well as reparation for our country that we currently have no say over.

As a member of the First Peoples’ Assembly in the first iteration, we had the important role of establishing the mechanics for the negotiations. This was only the first step in an important process to a Treaty.

I believe in a Treaty and see that it is important to continue this journey to see the final realisation of our dreams for a Treaty in Victoria. A Treaty is important for all our mobs in Victoria because it will give us an economic reality that we don’t currently have and will lead to better outcomes for all of us. I also believe it will be a step towards bridging the gap between ourselves and the wider community.