It s a recognition that without truth, without justice you can t have a treaty.
He said more than 30 countries, including Canada, New Zealand and South Africa, had undergone a similar truth-telling process. The true side of history
The commission s terms of reference were developed in partnership with the state s First Peoples Assembly. It s hard to describe what this will mean for our old people, our ancestors, our elders who have fought decades and decades for this, assembly co-chair Marcus Stewart said. We now have the opportunity to tell the true side of history - not a side that s been dismissed, not a side that s been denied.
Last year, the Victorian government announced it would establish a Truth and Justice process to “recognise historic wrongs and address ongoing injustices for Aboriginal Victorians”.
Since then, the government has worked in partnership with the First Peoples’ Assembly to figure out how that process would operate.
Today, the government and the First Peoples’ Assembly co-chairs announced the process would be run by the Yoo-rrook Justice Commission (named for the Wemba Wemba/Wamba Wamba word for “truth”). The commission will be led by five commissioners and, importantly, will be invested with the powers of a royal commission.
The announcement was made at Coranderrk, a former Aboriginal reserve outside Melbourne. The site is significant. Dispossessed from their country, a group of Aboriginal people were allowed in the 1860s to settle on a small parcel of land deemed unsuitable for agriculture.
Truth-telling commission established to investigate injustices against Aboriginal Victorians
By Shannon Jenkins
Tuesday March 9, 2021
The Yoo-rrook has the power of a royal commission. (AAP Image/James Ross)
Victoria has become the first Australian jurisdiction to institute a formal truth-telling forum, with the establishment of the independent Yoo-rrook Justice Commission.
In a joint statement with the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria on Tuesday, Premier Daniel Andrews said the Yoo-rrook Justice Commission would begin its work in the coming months.
The commission, which has been named after the Wemba Wemba/Wamba Wamba word for ‘truth’ and has the power of a royal commission, will investigate historical and ongoing social, political, cultural and economic injustices committed against Aboriginal Victorians.
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Many countries have already held inquiries to reveal the painful truths about their relations past and present with Indigenous communities.
Now, Victoria has announced Australia s first truth and justice commission. It will be named the Yoo-rrook Justice Commission, after the Wemba Wemba/Wamba Wamba word for truth .
Duration: 3min 54sec