The journey towards a more just, more equal and more respectful future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders to an important step in Mount Isa on Friday.
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The city played host to a Path to Treaty community consultation session on November 1, the fifth of 26 sessions across the state.
The state government says the aim of the treaty process is to help deliver greater self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities that will lead to stimulated local economies that are creating more jobs and helping to deliver improved housing and health outcomes.
Path to Treaty is one of many state-based Treaty initiatives across Australia and the first time Queensland has had a statewide conversation on treaty and agreement-making with First Nations Queenslanders.
The discussions are guided by members of an independent Eminent Panel and Treaty Working Group includes Indigenous and non-Indigenous representatives from academia, community leaders, business owners, and human rights advocates and Co-Chair Dr Jackie Huggins said the Path to Treaty process would help acknowledge past wrongs.
"The Path to Treaty process allow us to move towards a shared future, where the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders are valued and embraced," Dr Huggins said.
"A Treaty would bring a greater sense of empowerment for those people and would address one of the great historical wrongs in our country. We look forward to hearing community voices and learning what a Path to Treaty means to all Queenslanders."
Non-Indigenous panel member and former Australian Wallaby great Dan Crowley said injustices from the past needed to be recognised.
"We need to look at the past, acknowledge the past, and then look at how we are going to work together to go into the future," Mr Crowley.
"We have a number of Indigenous people we've brought into our business and I can see from talking to them there is a lot of healing to do."
Dr Huggins said the Uluru Statement from the Heart was helping to inform the discussions.