First Nations Portfolio had a busy Reconciliation Week 2026. The theme was ‘All In’ and the FNP team really got involved with engagements across the country and the world.
Stronger Smarter Together Summit
In the lead up to Reconciliation Week (27 May to 3 June), Vice-President (First Nations) Professor Peter Yu spoke twice at the two-day Stronger Smarter Together Summit in Meeanjin (Brisbane) in early May.
He spoke to the summit’s theme of ‘Reimagining Australia’s Sovereignty’ on day one and said getting Indigenous businesses better access to financial capital was a good way to support sovereignty.
"There are historical and other barriers that exist in terms of accessing finance from normal financial institutions, banks," he said. "A level of discrimination and prejudice exists." Professor Yu said Australian Government specialist investment vehicles like the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), Housing Australia and the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) could be mandated to support more Indigenous-owned enterprises.
His keynote speech the next day addressed the conference theme of ‘Reimagining Sovereignty’ with a grounded view of what it can mean in practice. "The seminal 1992 case of Mabo 2 did not, beyond rejecting the repugnant fiction of the Terra Nullius lie that we were vacant country, address the question of our legal sovereignty. The High Court feared that any recognition of Indigenous sovereignty would fracture the legal skeleton of the Australian state," Professor Yu said. "However, for us today, we must begin to focus less on prescriptive legal definitions of ‘sovereignty’ and instead ask on what premise do we continue to assert and identify ourselves as Indigenous peoples?”
Copper Conference 2026
Population geographer Emeritus Professor John Taylor is a valued member of the FNP team. He is highly respected for his groundbreaking Indigenous Data Sovereignty (IDS) work including building data capability with remote Aboriginal communities. On May 20 he delivered a presentation called 'Who owns the data? Indigenous data sovereignty and the extractive industries: implications and future directions' at Imperial College London for the Rio Tinto Centre for Future Materials Copper Conference 2026. He spoke alongside Shanine Ryan (GAICD) of Ngarluma Yindjibarndi Foundation Ltd (NYFL) about what IDS means for the mining industry. Professor Nick Bainton of the ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet) earlier delivered a presentation on 'Indigenous Rights and the Materials Transition: The Questions We Cannot Avoid'.
Broome Indigenous Business Forum
On May 26 Professor Yu delivered the keynote address at the inaugural Broome Chamber of Commerce and Industry Indigenous Business Forum. Professor Yu said there are emerging local, regional, national and international economic opportunities for Indigenous Kimberley businesses. "This region is rich with economic potential. It covers more than 423,000 square kilometres, or 16 per cent of Western Australia. More than 97 per cent of that is determined Native Title land. More than 40 per cent of the Kimberley population is Indigenous." Global markets are hungry for the Kimberley's critical minerals, renewable energy and agricultural resources, he said. "How do we activate our land and sea assets? How do we attract capital? How do we nurture and grow Indigenous-owned businesses to thrive in local and regional economies as well as reach global markets?" Professor Yu said Rubibi (Broome) could become Australia's northern gateway and entry point for doing business with Asia and China as an alternative to Darwin. "Indonesia is only about three hours away by air or about 15 days by sea freight," he said.
Walk for Truth
Meanwhile, back in Canberra on the same day, FNP joined with colleagues from across The Australian National University to support Travis Lovett and the Walk for Truth from Naarm (Melbourne) to Canberra. The following day they walked from Reconciliation Place to Parliament House to call for national truth-telling, where the Prime Minister met them. At ANU, Tjabal Indigenous Higher Education Centre Director Professor Anne Martin AM and Interim Vice Chancellor Rebekah Brown led a big crowd to meet the Walk for Truth in the steady rain on University Avenue. We all walked together to the Lowitja O’Donoghue Cultural Centre. Dr Matilda House-Williams OAM provided a smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country. "Walk for Truth calls on the federal government to commit to a national truth-telling process," she said. "Truth-telling builds understanding, healing and a stronger future for everybody." Rebekah thanked Travis for "allowing ANU to be part of this important moment in National Reconciliation Week". "The advancement of Australia’s Indigenous peoples is a core mission for The Australian National University," she said.
Travis thanked everyone for the welcome and solidarity. He said the epic journey had involved meeting different First Nations elders and leaders on their Countries, many of whom joined in to walk beside him to deliver a message to the Prime Minister.
Parliamentary Library Reconciliation Week lecture
On 28 May Professor Yu delivered the 2026 Parliamentary Library Reconciliation Week lecture at Parliament House in Canberra.
Professor Yu called for federal policy reform to reshape the relationship architecture and the economic and fiscal relationship between First Nations peoples, government and the wider Australian community.
Speaking to senior public servants, onlookers and supporters in a packed event, Professor Yu also underlined the importance of ongoing legal action to gain more recognition of Indigenous land rights.
Professor Yu had been invited to deliver the 2026 Reconciliation Week lecture by the Parliamentary Librarian Steven Fox.
Prime Minister and Cabinet Secretary Dr Steven Kennedy PSM, Finance Secretary Matthew Yannopoulos PSM and National Indigenous Australians Agency CEO Julie-Ann Guivarra were among the audience. Seats were booked out within days of the event being announced. Others watched the speech online.
Professor Yu said truth-telling and trust were key to delivering economic self-determination and real reconciliation for First Nations peoples.
“The truth is, Reconciliation has not delivered the transformation promised. Closing the Gap has not led to a marked shift in our well-being nor in our relationship with governments and wider society,” he said.
“If we are to have any hope at improving our relationship and realising Reconciliation, we need to focus on building trust and mutual respect.”
Professor Yu suggested three immediate priorities to transform the relationship between Indigenous peoples, governments and the wider community:
1. A new National Indigenous Relationship Agency focused on "big-picture political and economic transition".
2. A national Indigenous Economic Framework including bespoke First Nations laws and institutions following the Canadian example.
3. Continued court action to press for recognition and compensation.
Professor Yu said the decisive factor would not be government action. “It will not be Reconciliation Weeks and commemorations, however well intentioned,” he said.
“It will be us, as Indigenous peoples, deciding how we organise ourselves, how we move beyond political frameworks that limit our agency, and how we build the structures that allow our people to exercise power responsibly and for the benefit of our communities.”
After the speech Professor Yu answered audience questions in an extended Q&A session facilitated by Mr Fox.