Pastoral letter on Treaty

Pastoral letter re: Statement in Support of the Treaty Process in Victoria

Dear friends in Christ,

I recently wrote a pastoral letter regarding the publication of the Synod’s submission to the Yoorrook Justice Commission. I hope that you have had an opportunity to read that letter, and to see in the submission some of the story of the Uniting Church, and its predecessor churches, in relation to the First Peoples of the lands now known as the State of Victoria. That letter is linked HERE. In this letter I want to introduce a further response regarding engaging with First Peoples in Victoria which has been progressed by the Synod Standing Committee.

As I wrote in my previous letter, the Synod’s support for Treaty has been longstanding. In 1987, the (then) Synod of Victoria made resolutions supporting the design of “a treaty which recognises prior Aboriginal ownership of Australian land, and which will begin to address the continued dispossession and needs of Australian Aboriginal people”. In 2019 this Synod resolved to support the 2017 Statement from the Heart, which includes a call for a Makarrata Commission to supervise a process of agreement-making between governments and First Nations.^[1]

The First People’s Assembly of Victoria, which is a form of elected Voice for First Peoples in Victoria, called on the Victorian Government in 2020 to establish a truth and justice process. The Yoorrook Justice Commission was subsequently formed in 2021. The Commission is leading a process of truth-telling, which is a significant step for helping the whole community to understand First Peoples’ stories and experience. The recommendations of the Commission will contribute to any agreement-making which follows.^[2]

At this stage, the form of a Treaty or Treaties to be developed within Victoria is unknown, and it is not known what kind of direct involvement that churches may have. However, it may be hoped that the process of treaty-making will help to build community as it works to articulate our obligations to one another. In Aotearoa New Zealand, the 1988 Report of the Methodist Church’s Bicultural Committee considers that the Treaty of Waitangi is a form of covenant. That report notes that “A covenant has the binding force of a legal contract, but is wrapped around with spirituality in a way which gives it sacredness … (it is) ongoing, binding us by virtue of being part of a community, calling us to obligation, and setting the seal of Spirit on the promises”.^[3]

The Treaty or Treaties that may be developed in Victoria may not be modelled on the Treaty of Waitangi, but the Uniting Church in Australia is familiar with covenanting: not only through biblical stories of covenant, but importantly through the Covenant we have made with the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC). This experience helps to inform our approach to supporting Treaty.

Hence, in keeping with previous resolutions of the Synod, and with the support of the Synod’s Walking Together in Covenant Committee (which includes membership from the Victoria UAICC, Tasmania UIACC, and Presbyteries) and the Victorian Regional Committee of the UAICC, at its August 2024 meeting the Synod Standing Committee adopted the Statement of Support for Treaty which is appended below. This public statement can also be downloaded HERE.

As we continue to journey together under God, I pray that the conversations and work that we do towards agreement-making will draw us together as a fellowship of reconciliation, and lead to the creation of a more just future in which, as the Statement of Support says, “First Peoples’ voices are heard, rights are respected, and justice is realised for generations to come.”

Grace and peace,

Rev David Fotheringham

Moderator

[1] https://ulurustatement.org/the-statement/view-the-statement/

[2] https://www.firstpeoplesrelations.vic.gov.au/truth-and-justice

[3] A Methodist approach to the Treaty of Waitangi, in The Methodist Church of New Zealand Mission Resourcing Information Pack, at https://www.methodist.org.nz/assets/Whakapapa/involvements.pdf

Support for the Treaty process in Victoria

We, the Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Victoria and Tasmania acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands where we do our ministry across Victoria. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded. We acknowledge the Covenant relationship that we have with the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress.

We acknowledge that when it comes to First Peoples communities, cultures and lands, the true experts are of course First Peoples themselves, and we are grateful for the leadership of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria.

We acknowledge that the past cannot be altered or erased, but we choose to take steps today that will foster healing in the enduring pain caused by injustices. As an organisation firmly committed to advancing social justice and equality, we want to play our part in righting the wrongs of the past and be part of collaborating towards a better future together.

We believe a better tomorrow is possible. Consistent with the Church’s declared support for the principles in the Statement from the Heart, we commit our support to the First Peoples’ Treaty process in Victoria.

To help build support for the shared journey to Treaty, we will:

• Collaborate with the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria on the advancement of a Treaty in Victoria;
• Advocate in support of the Treaty process;
• Continue to provide information to our congregations and faith communities about the Treaty process and its importance to First Peoples, as a significant step to address some of the injustices of racist colonialism;
• Encourage members of Congress Victoria to enrol to vote and participate in the First Peoples’ Assembly processes as they work on the advancement of Treaty in Victoria
• Continue to develop and communicate a clear theologically robust rationale for supporting the Victorian Treaty process;
• Inform church members about the role of churches in past injustices related to First Peoples in Victoria;
• Encourage our congregations and faith communities to
  • learn the stories of First Peoples in their areas;
  • acknowledge Country in their services and meetings;
  • seek to forge relationships with the Traditional Owners in the places where they are situated;
  • consider how they might support the Treaty process
• Partner with other churches and organisations, as appropriate, to foster the Victorian community’s acceptance and embrace of the Treaty process.

In making this commitment, we affirm the right of self-determination for First Peoples in charting a path towards Treaty.

The Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, and the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress Victorian Regional Council, are united in this support.

Together, all Victorians can create a future where First Peoples’ voices are heard, rights are respected, and justice is realised for generations to come.

August 2024

Email [email protected]  for more information about the Synod’s support for Treaty