INDIGENOUS leaders are yet to lock in a host of Treaty decisions even as crowds prepare to unite for Bendigo's Treaty Day Out this Saturday.
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It is not yet clear exactly when key Victorian Treaty rules will be locked in as headline acts like Dan Sultan and Briggs ready their performances.
Saturday's rally cry is being organised as the democratic First Peoples' Assembly grapples with a raft of open questions going to the heart of looming Victoria-wide talks.
The most immediate matter appears to be the final form of ground rules known as the "Treaty Negotiation Framework".
The document is expected to define the scope of negotiation discussions and will be critical to First Peoples' agendas during talks with the government.
The assembly pointed last July to examples in Canada, New Zealand and the United States.
It suggested at the time that Victoria's rules could cover everything from recognition of past injustices to specific rights around accessing land, health, education and economic development.
The assembly is also still to settle the ground rules for more localised talks specific groups are planning.
Those talks could include talks about land and waters on Country, culture and language and other matters linked to specific areas and Peoples.
Also still to be settled is a "self determination fund" Indigenous groups want to make sure they can go toe-to-toe with the government during potentially complex negotiations.
Rules for that fund could end up being tied into the ground rules the Assembly wants to finalise soon, the Bendigo Advertiser understands. The fund itself could be set up at a later date, perhaps next year.
The assembly has hurtled through 2022 with multiple wins on the road to Treaty including an independent umpire to oversee talks.
The successes have fueled a sense of optimism reflected in words greeting people booking tickets for Treaty Day Out: "when it comes to Treaty, nothing is off the table".
Time will tell whether that upbeat view will survive the actual Treaty process.
Dja Dja Wurrung and Wamba Wamba woman Cassandra Lewis recently visited Canada and spoke with a chief negotiator involved in that country's Treaty process.
"There were mixed views there about whether Treaties were honoured by those involved," the general manager of central Victorian group Djaara said.
"Some are doing better than others. We got to hear about things included in their Treaties, which were really powerful and maybe something we can look towards."
Ms Lewis was reluctant to detail what those things were, given the assembly is still to lock in Treaty ground rules.
But she said one thing was clear from the Canada trip.
"I was really blown away with the struggles they have gone through, and how similar they are to ours," Ms Lewis said.
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