VAN Talks Podcast
Heading back to our roots and building on the work we undertook in the leadup to the 2023 Referendum, Victorian Aboriginal News (VAN) Talks focuses on the positivity that is Aboriginal Victoria. Covering everything from Voice, Treaty and Truth and Reconciliation through to Aboriginal businesses and Traditional Owner initiatives, the VAN Talks podcast is the only podcast that travels across the State to deliver interviews and stories that are the truth of Aboriginal Victoria.
Episodes
196 episodes
S05-E36: Implementing First Nations knowledge to heal country
Holmesglen Institute and Trust for Nature offer a First Nations-led Certificate III in Conservation and Ecosystem Management, empowering mob to care for Country, restore native biodiversity, and lead environmental self-determination.
S05-E35: It's time for Australia to acknowledge historic atrocities
New research shows over two million people lived across Australia pre-invasion, shattering colonial myths and underscoring the urgent need for genuine truth-telling and historical accountability.
S05-E34: First Nations star knowledge predates Western astrophysics by millennia
Astrophysicist Professor Duane Hamacher explores First Nations development and use of astronomy, revealing tens of thousands of years of sophisticated science well outdating Western astrophysics.
S05-E33: Reclaiming cultural heritage through proper consent frameworks
Existing Australian intellectual property laws fail to safeguard Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property. Dr Terri Janke outlines why true consultation, consent, and True Tracks principles are vital for protecting Blak knowledge.
S05-E32 - Media leader urges all Australians to engage with Blak media
National Indigenous Times COO Alexander Wolf discusses expanding into Victoria, combatting online misinformation, protecting First Nations journalists, and why mainstream engagement with Blak media is vital for community self-determination.
S05-E31: First Nations creatives given safe spaces through Blak and Bright
Skye Cusack discusses how Blak and Bright supports First Nations storytellers year-round through publishing partnerships, digital commissions, education initiatives, and industry advocacy to ensure cultural safety and fair remuneration.
S05-E30: Ipsos Indigenous Issues 2026 report reveals shift in public focus
New data shows that while mainstream interest in First Nations issues has dropped, majority support for Treaty and truth-telling remains firm, led strongly by younger generations across Australia.
S05-E29: Long term economic independence at the heart of Victoria Treaty process
Self Determination Fund co-chair Leanne Miller explains how building capital and supporting Traditional Owner unity is driving long-term economic independence and equity across Victoria’s ongoing Treaty process.
S05-E28: Marcia Langton talks about truth-telling, culture in education...and racism
Laureate Professor Marcia Langton AO discusses navigating everyday racism, moving beyond deficit models, and embedding 65,000 years of Indigenous scientific innovation—from astronomy to fire—into the national curriculum.
S05-E27: Standing up for Mob through reporting racism and demanding real accountability
Cathy Austin from the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission talks about a new podcast series created in partnership with VALS, providing education on the legal tools available to First Nations people who face discrimination in...
S05-E26: Building self-determination on air through independent Aboriginal media
3KND General Manager Grant Hansen has a yarn with us about spending 25 years building independent Aboriginal radio in Melbourne, amplifying community voices, championing local music, and driving genuine self-determination across the airwaves.
S05-E25: New study highlights connection between harmful misinformation and online hate targeting Mob
Groundbreaking research reveals a tenfold rise in online hate targeting First Nations people. Discover how digital algorithms fuel racism against Mob and what must be done to protect our community.
S05:E24 - Reconciliation Action Plans at a crossroads: Jason Mifsud on the future of RAPs
Are Reconciliation Action Plans still delivering for Mob? Eastern Maar leader Jason Mifsud explores why organisations must shift from symbolic gestures to structural accountability, embedded governance, and genuine self-determination.
S05-E23: "Systems aren't broken, they're working by design": Prof. Emma-Jaye Gavin on the future of truth-telling
S05-E22: Sixteen-year-old student challenges leaders to turn promises into progress
Sixteen-year-old Lola Wood-Sharples speaks out on VAN Talks, calling for real accountability on Closing the Gap targets and demanding meaningful action over empty government promises.
S05-E21: Uncle Joel Wright speaks out about the genesis of First Nations radio
We sit down with First Nations radio pioneer Uncle Joel Wright, discussing the past, present and future of Blak voices on Australian radio.
S05-E20: Highlighting culture through art without compromise
An acclaimed Victorian Aboriginal artist, Bayley Mifsud, discusses navigating major corporate collaborations while safeguarding cultural integrity. She highlights the vital importance of connection to Country, honouring Southeastern artistic id...
S05-E19: Youth taking leadership in the Victorian Treaty process
First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria members Tarni Morris and Levi Power discuss how First Nations youth are stepping up to lead Victoria’s historic Treaty,
S04-E18: First Nations economic participation sparks national debate and rethinking
Uncle Ian Hamm joins VAN Talks to argue that true self-determination requires shifting from rights-based social policies to macro-economic participation and wealth independence.
S05-E17: Gunditjmara Elder sets challenges to the Western Eurocentric bureaucracies
Recently, having given a magnificent oration on SBS’s NITV, Uncle Richard Frankland goes even deeper into his five challenges for institutions, governments, and ourselves, as well as social engineering and the need to be free thinkers.
S05-E16: VACCHO marks 30 years of community control and self-determination
As VACCHO marks 30 years, CEO Aunty Jill Gallagher reflects on the early struggles, the power of community-led healthcare, and the non-negotiable right to self-determination.
S05-E15: Demand for true accountability in Indigenous Procurement Policy
Principal lawyer and founder of AMK Law, Matthew Karakoulakis, unpacks critical new updates to Australia’s Indigenous Procurement Policy (IPP). He looks past the percentages on paper to explore why true First Nations economic self-determination...
S05-E14: The role of Blak media in the "fight for the soul of this country"
This is an episode not to be missed. Yorta Yorta man and award-winning journalist, Daniel James, gives a one-on-one interview with VAN Talks to discuss the critical role of First Nations media. Discussing current threats to community and cultur...
S05-E13: Advancing Victoria’s education model in a post-Yoorrook era
12 months after first speaking with Shelley Ware, one of Australia’s foremost First Nations education system reform advocates, we catch up again to talk about the future of Victoria’s education system in a post-Yoorrook era.
S05-E12: CEO of Settlement Council of Australia says, “It's time to roll up the sleeves and make it happen.”
In an interview with Victorian Aboriginal News’ Charles Pakana, Settlers Council of Australia CEO Maria Dimopoulos reflects on her first 12 months in the role. She addresses a profound, 25-year oversight: the total absence of dialogue regarding...