VAN Talks Podcast
Heading back to our roots and building on the work we undertook in the leadup to the 2023 Referendum, Victorian Aboriginal News (VAN) Talks focuses on the positivity that is Aboriginal Victoria. Covering everything from Voice, Treaty and Truth and Reconciliation through to Aboriginal businesses and Traditional Owner initiatives, the VAN Talks podcast is the only podcast that travels across the State to deliver interviews and stories that are the truth of Aboriginal Victoria.
- Update frequency
- every 4 days
- Average duration
- 20 minutes
- Episodes
- 124
- Years Active
- 2023 - 2025
S02-E04: "Land, Sky and Waters". The next stage of Yoorrook's truth-telling investigations
Yoorrook Commissioner Kerrupmara/Gunditjmara man Travis Lovett sits with VAN's Charles Pakana to discuss his experiences as the most recently appointed Yoorrook Commissioner and the wor…
S02-E03: Uncle Alan Thorpe, forging ahead to help build stronger men, families and communities
For well over 20 years, Uncle Alan Thorpe has been single-mindedly focused on supporting Aboriginal men across Australia and working to help those men take an active role in building st…
S02-E02: Progressing towards Treaty in Victoria - an interview with the Assembly Co-Chairs
With the second iteration of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria firmly in place, we take a deep dive with Assembly co-chairs Ngarra Murray and Rueben Berg in where Victoria is curr…
S02-E01: Reconciliation in Victoria discussion with Professor Andrew Gunstone
As we kick off series 2 of our podcast, a logical flow-on from the Referendum 23 Tapes podcast, we initiate a series of discussions about Reconciliation in Victoria, starting with inter…
Episode 40: Co-Chair of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria reflects on the campaign and post referendum
Co-Chair of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, Gunditjmara man Rueben Berg, reflects on the divisive nature of the Voice referendum campaign and the need to heal community post re…
Episode 39: How The Voice can deliver billions of dollars savings to the Federal Government every year
CEO of the Lowitja Institute, Janine Mohamed, reveals on the podcast how a Voice to Parliament has the potential to save the Federal Government $10 billion per year in healthcare alone.
Episode 38: The Point’s JP Janke calls out the “flooding the zone” campaign tactic
SBS/NITV The Point co-host John Paul (JP) Janke joins Charles on the Referendum 2023 Tapes podcast to talk about a range of topics from “fear over fact” to the role of First Nations med…
Episode 37: Yorta Yorta Elder Uncle Andrew Jackomos Casts His Eye of Experience on the Voice
With decades of public service and experience with government and bureaucracy under his belt, Yorta Yorta Elder Uncle Andrew Jackomos joins Charles to discuss the Voice to Parliament fr…
Episode 36: Victoria’s Taungurung People in Support of “Yes” for All First Nations Communities Across Victoria
Taungurung man and CEO of the Taungurung Land and Waters Council (TLaWC) Matthew Burns joins Charles on the podcast to share his thoughts on the positive impacts on all Australians - Ab…
Episode 35: A “Cautious Yes” Approach from Gunditjmara Man Jason Mifsud
Based on his many years of work in government, community and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs), Gunditjmara man Jason Mifsud is approaching the vote for an Aborigina…
Episode 34: A Totally Different - and Refreshing - Perspective on the Voice to Parliament
Yorta Yorta man Ian Hamm speaks frankly to Charles in this episode, and delivers a frank, honest and totally refreshing perspective on an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to …
Episode 33: Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Elder Uncle Andrew Gardiner Talks of the Positives
We’re joined today by Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Elder Uncle Andrew Gardiner. In this interview, Uncle Andrew touches on a broad range of subjects ranging from some of the misinformation su…
Episode 32: Aboriginal childcare, Treaty and a Voice to Parliament
In our latest Referendum 2023 Tapes podcast, Charles speaks with one of Australia’s foremost activists and advocates for Aboriginal and Islander child care, Aunty Muriel Bamblett. In th…
Episode 31: Victoria’s Dja Dja Wurrung People Say Yes to the Voice
In Victoria’s central west, the Dja Dja Wurrung People via their representative corporation, DJAARA, have come out in clear support of a Yes vote for a Voice to Parliament enshrined in …
Episode 30: Paul Paton, CEO of the Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations
Charles is joined in this podcast by the CEO of the Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations. Together, they discuss a broad range of topics relating to the Voice and the …
Episode 29: Youth Speaks Out on the Referendum, Voice and Misinformation
In a very special episode of the Referendum 2023 Tapes podcast, Charles is joined by two students, Sienna and Katelyn, from Our Lady of Mercy College Heidelberg. Both first-time voters,…
Episode 28: Very Real and Positive Health Outcomes for Aboriginal People
CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO), Aunty Jill Gallagher AO, speaks frankly to Charles about the very real and positive health outcomes sh…
Episode 27: Five months on the road. Experiences shared from a referendum and Voice campaigner
We first yarned with the Anglican Church’s Reverend Canon Glenn Loughrey in March this year. Now, after a hard five months on the road yarning up the referendum and Voice, we speak with…
Episode 26: Disproving Peta Credlin’s claim that the Uluru Statement is 26-pages
In this short but succinct episode, we clearly disprove the claim by Sky News commentator Peta Credlin’s claim that the Uluru Statement is 26 pages. It isn’t!!!
Episode 25: Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-Operative
Join us for a discussion about the work undertaken by the Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative to promote a positive stand for a First Nations Voice to Parliament. CEO Simon Flagg and boa…