VAN Talks Podcast

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Joining Charles Pakana on the podcast is Gunditjmara man Uncle Mark Rose, the inaugural First Nations Commissioner of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission. For decades, he has challenged Australian academia to recognise Indigenous knowledge systems as a foundational intellectual architecture that must sit at the very centre of our national education research. 

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VAN Talks welcomes reconciliation activist Ruth Yeatman, who talks about championing reconciliation in one of Victoria's highs recorded "No" vote regions.

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VAN's Charles Pakana catches up with Wurundjeri Elder and lore man Uncle Bill Nicholson to discuss the use - and often ofter use - of the Acknowledgement of Country. (A full transcript is available on the VAN website - www.vicaboriginalnews.com.au)

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Filmmaker Rachel Perkins unpacks Australia’s brutal frontier wars, revealing how a foundational conflict over land and resources shaped the nation. She discusses historical archives, government complicity, and the path toward national truth-telling.

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Cultural educator Thane Garvey explores the complexities of shared Australian culture, addressing non-Indigenous fears, the importance of respectful engagement, and the vital role of education in preserving First Nations heritage.

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Traditional Owners in Victoria are reawakening ancient cultural burning practices to restore landscape health, protect biodiversity, and mitigate wildfire risks through community-led land management and self-determination.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 any form. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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We sit down with First Nations radio pioneer Uncle Joel Wright, discussing the past, present and future of Blak voices on Australian radio.

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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 identity, and inspiring the next generation to proudly celebrate First Nations cultural heritage everywhere.

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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,

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 relies on 'effective control' and accountability.

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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 culture, and pleading for people to just be nicer to one another.

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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.

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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 what "settlement" truly means in the context of First Nations dispossession.

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In this episode of VAN Talks, Rueben Berg is interviewed by our founder and host, Uncle Charles Pakana, for reflections on his time at the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, and, now that he is no longer a co-Chair at the Assembly, how he spends his time (did someone say "disk golf"?). Rueben also gives some thoughts and tips to local councils regarding their involvement with Traditional Owner groups. 

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In this special episode on VAN Talks, a podcast normally hosted by Uncle Charles Pakana, Karina Wells, Uncle Charles's daughter, takes to the mic to interview the face of VAN. Uncle 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. 

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VAN's Charles Pakana sits down the Taungurung woman Kaley Nicholson, CEO of the Federation of Victorian Traditional Owners Corporation, to discuss Native Title in the Victorian context

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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. 

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Meriki Onus and Djaran Murray-Jackson have recently been elected as Co-Chairs of Gellung Warl, the First People's Assembly of Victoria. In this episode of VAN Talks, Meriki and Djaran yarn about the future of Treaty in Victoria, showing that they've been listening to community and are ready to "hit the ground running" to " bring about tangible and immediate change".

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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. 

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In this episode, Uncle Charles yarns with former Victorian Multicultural Commissioner, Shankar Karsynathan. 

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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.

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We catch up with historian Peter Bakker and explore the truth of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in military service.  Listen in to this discussion on how the Australian military provided  a rare space of racal equality where mateship often superseded discrimination.