22 June 2026

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.

18 June 2026

Settlement Council of Australia CEO Maria Dimopoulos addresses a profound, 25-year oversight: the total absence of dialogue regarding what “settlement” truly means in the context of First Nations dispossession.

15 June 2026

Rueben Berg returns to VAN Talks to discuss his work as a self-proclaimed “back-bencher”, focusing on community engagement and non Victorian TOs in the Treaty space.

11 June 2026

In this special episode on VAN Talks, a podcast normally hosted by Charles Pakana, Karina Wells, his, takes to the mic to interview the face of VAN. Charles talks about the impact his mentors and the move to Naarm had on him, as well as what the future of VAN might look like.

8 June 2026

Kaley Nicholson, CEO of the Federation of Victorian Traditional Owners Corporation, gives an easily understandable overview of what Native Title is in the Victorian context.

2 June 2026

NITV General Manager, Dan Bourchier, discusses his vision for the future of NITV and advises both journalists and consumers of media on how to maintain a truth-focused perspective.

26 May 2026

Assembly co-Chairs Meriki Onus and Djaran Murray-Jackson commit to listening to community and “hit the ground running” to “bring about tangible and immediate change”.

20 May 2026

In this episode of VAN Talks, Sheree Lowe explains the difference between a kinship carer and a traditional foster carer in the Western system. She also gives some great examples of how to embed Indigenous culture in children’s lives.

7 May 2026

Former Victorian Multicultural Commissioner Shankar Kasynathan speaks out about the role that multicultural and immigrant communities can play in the reconciliation field

4 May 2026

Uncle Andrew Gardiner and Dale Wandin from Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung speak to VAN about the Traditional Owner group’s entry onto the Treaty Authority’s register.

30 April 2026

Charles Pakana sits down with Peter Bakker to discuss a very important topic: Aboroiginal people who have served in the Australian forces. Listen in to this discussion on how the army provided a rare space of racal equality where mateship often superseded discrimination.

27 April 2026

Charles Pakana yarns with Taungurung CEO, Matt Burns, to discuss the historic steps being taken by the Taungurung people toward Treaty negotiations with the state government. Matt talks about the community’s journey toward independence through the Victorian Treaty pathway.

20 April 2026

Charles Pakana has a yarn with Travis Lovett, a Kerrupmara Gunditjmara man and former Yoorrook Justice Commissioner, 18 hours before he leaves to leads the 2026 National Walk for Truth. This 800km journey from Narrm to Canberra advocates for a national truth-telling process and collective healing.

16 April 2026

We catch up with Professor Peter Radoll and explore how the massive amount of Yoorrook evidence and submissions will never be relegated to sit on the shelf and gather dust.

10 April 2026

We meet up with Dr Megan Evans and Clare Land to find out more about the Victorian Treaty Scroll, which represents a powerful community call for justice. Adorned with thousands of fingerprints, this living document symbolises a collective commitment to formalise a Treaty between the State and First Peoples.

7 April 2026

Despite the Treaty Act of 2025, Victoria’s Traditional Owners face new challenges. Charles Pakana and Kaley Nicholson discuss local Treaty complexities, a $76 million funding gap, and the potential $1 billion return on investment.

30 March 2026

Djaara and the City of Greater Bendigo move beyond transactional MOUs with Yilingga Marna, a groundbreaking agreement embedding self-determination and shared governance into local decision-making.

27 March 2026

James Woods from the Australian Long Weekend Initiative proposes moving Australia Day to the second-last Monday in January. This shift promises a long weekend every year, boosts business productivity, and fosters national unity for all Australians.

25 March 2026

There’s enormous potential for indigenous business leaders to deliver major positive economic benefit to all of Australia. Dilin Duwa’s Paul Paton speaks out about this.