Many Australians do not know what a treaty is or could involve. To help answer this question and explore other major issues surrounding Indigenous-State treaty-making, Ruth is joined by Uncle Charles Pakana who is the founder and editor of Victorian Aboriginal News, which focuses primarily on Treaty, Reconciliation, Truth-telling and the sharing of positive First Nations stories from across Victoria. (See fuller bio below) Commonwealth countries with treaties, like New Zealand and Canada, report that all members of society benefit. Treaties move a nation from a foundation of conflict to one of mutual recognition, respect, stability, partnership and equity. By formalizing rights, acknowledging past injustices, and providing a framework for self-determination, treaties offer economic, social, and symbolic advantages for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations, and most importantly, lay the ground for unity and a shared cultural interchange which inevitably enriches the society. Until November, 2025, Australia was the only Commonwealth country without a treaty with its First Peoples, who as we know have lived on this continent and cared for country for 65,000 years, long before the British invaded and colonized Australia, without consent. Australia was therefore built on the denial and exclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with tragic consequences, including 438 (known) massacres which severely depleted the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations; and the late 1800s saw the beginning of the forcible removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, with large scale removals continuing until the 1970s. Join us to hear the facts about how Treaty will work to benefit all Victorians, and ultimately the whole country as other States investigate Treaties with indigenous people living in their regions. Uncle Charles will clear up any misinformation to help us sort fact from fiction and become better informed. Bio Charles Pakana (born Keir Wells) is an Aboriginal man of Tasmanian descent, yet identifying strongly as an Aboriginal Victorian. He is the second of three successive generations of Aboriginal journalists - his father, Fred Wells, having been the Industrial Correspondent at the Sydney Morning Herald up until his death (the result of his active service during WWII), and his daughter Karina Wells, a trainee journalist at Victorian Aboriginal News: https://vicaboriginalnews.com.au/ Charles is the founder of and editor at Victorian Aboriginal News, which focuses primarily on Treaty, Reconciliation, Truth-telling and the sharing of positive First Nations stories from across Victoria. He is an ex-infantry soldier (nine years) and, along with his journalistic work, which is carried across numerous Victorian community radio stations such as 3KND, Triple R and Phoenix FM, and the VAN Talks podcast, is a high-profile public speaker across the state, advocating for Treaty and Reconciliation.
