The Yoorrook Justice Commission, an inquiry investigating injustices experienced by Indigenous people in Victoria since colonisation, appeared in Ballarat on Friday to hear directly from elders.
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As well as a group yarning session, commissioners Dr Wayne Atkinson and Sue-Ann Hunter also spoke to dozens of community members about their experiences.
The commission has the same powers as a Royal Commission, with commissioners travelling to regional cities to gather evidence before presenting an interim report in June.
Speaking to The Courier after the Friday morning group session at the Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative, Dr Atkinson said there was a particularly large response in Ballarat.
"What came home today, that was mentioned just before, is that this is the hub of a lot of places where young people were brought to, through the impact of the Stolen Generations," he said.
"That was one of the most significant issues, amongst many other things - to me, that was the most significant, profound issue that's still there today."
Another issue that emerged was the fact that Indigenous soldiers who returned from World War 1 were not given soldier-settlement blocks, which further entrenched disadvantage in the city.
"We've done some interviews, some community engagement from people who are still seeking justice for the soldier-settlements, the discrimination their forebears experienced in not getting the same entitlements when they returned from service to Australia - that's unique in the south-western region," Dr Atkinson added.
"There's the historic roots, but it's still there in terms of the intergenerational impact, the trauma that's followed through from the Stolen Generations - there's still a lot of healing to be done, and that's important."
Ms Hunter said the commission will be grounded in "cultural authority", which is why elders are being spoken with first.
"We're hearing more about their stories, and some are talking about their grannies and their kids, but as we start to unpack and listen to different generations, we're going to get different themes, and different aspects of the one theme," she said.
"One thing that hit home for me was one of the Aunties saying she'd never seen her birth certificate - it allows you to do a lot, and one of our elders here has never seen it.
"These are the stories that are going to take us to truth and guide us where we need to go.
"Colonisation didn't just happen then, it's a continuing effect, and some of those issues are just packaged differently today - talking about the Stolen Generations led to child removal today, with concerns around those, the themes are very strong in certain areas."
She said there was a crucial difference between the Yoorrook Justice Commission and other recent Royal Commissions.
"My background is I'm a therapist - (I've noticed) they know us from the community, and we introduce ourselves in a different way," she said.
"I'm able to hug the Aunties and Uncles before they go, that's healing in itself, they're able to sit in a circle and tell the story the way they want, they're able to go to the themes they want.
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"If you don't want to go there, we won't go there, what do you want to talk about?
"The recommendations will go down the path to the state government and to the First People's Assembly, so our evidence informs the First People's Assembly towards a Treaty, and they'll be able to champion our recommendations.
"It's not going to be something that's done and left on a shelf."
More information on the Yoorrook Justice Commission is available online.
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