UNTOLD Naarm Special Event: Spearheading Treaty, A Pathway for the Future.

UNTOLD Naarm Special Event: Spearheading Treaty, A Pathway for the Future.

Friday 14th November

Join Ngarra Murray and Mayatili Marika in conversation with Leila Gurruwiwi.

This important conversation explores how the past continues to shape our future, honouring the trailblazers whose resistance and leadership has paved the way towards sovereignty. Through the lens of Treaty and legacy, our speakers bring deep familial connections to generations of First Nations advocacy and will share insights into Victoria’s historic Treaty process, reflecting on what this milestone means. As Victoria sets a national precedent, this discussion invites us to learn from the journey and find inspiration for building strong pathways.

Guests are encouraged to arrive promptly at 8am as formalities will commence at 8.15am.

About the speakers:

Ngarra Murray is a proud Wamba Wamba, Yorta Yorta, Dhudhuroa and Dja Dja Wurrung woman who grew up in Shepparton on Yorta Yorta Country. Ngarra is the elected Co-Chair of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria. She lives and works on Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country, representing Aboriginal Communities in the Metropolitan region.

As Co-Chair, Ngarra is a key spokesperson for the Assembly, committed to amplifying Community voices and supporting the path to Treaties in Victoria. She is passionate about sovereignty, community mobilisation, and nation-building.

Before her leadership at the Assembly, Ngarra was Executive Lead of the First Peoples’ Program at Oxfam Australia, where she championed the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples nationally and globally.

With over two decades of experience in advocacy, community engagement and cultural leadership, Ngarra has held roles at the University of Melbourne, City of Melbourne, Co-Health and Museums Victoria.

She is an Alumni of the Fellowship for Indigenous Leadership and has served on various national committees.

A mother of four and one of 12 siblings, Ngarra finds strength and healing in her ancestral lands, and enjoys spending time with her family on Country.

Mayatili Marika is a Rirratjingu Traditional Owner and Yolŋu woman based in north-east Arnhem Land. Part of a new generation of leadership for Yolŋu people, Mayatili is a bilingual leader and advocate who is involved in the education pipeline for Yolngu people in the region.

Mayatili belongs to one of the great artistic and political dynasties of Australia. Her father is Wandjuk Marika O.B.E. and her grandfather is Mawalan Marika. Her father was instrumental in the international recognition of Aboriginal art, traveling around the world to promote Indigenous culture. As Chair of the Aboriginal Arts Board of the Australian Council he played an important role in advocating for the founding of the Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre.

Mayatili has been working closely with major domestic and international art institutions such as National Gallery of Australia, the Met in New York, and many commercial galleries in Australia and the US, as a curator of exhibitions, including the recent groundbreaking and critically acclaimed travelling exhibition Maḏayin: Eight Decades of Aboriginal Australian Bark Painting from Yirrkala. She has been the Cultural Curator and programmer of the Garma Festival, for over a decade (Australia’s largest annual indigenous event) in North East Arnhem Land.

Leila Gurruwiwi is a multi-talented individual with a diverse range of skills and expertise. She is a proud Yolŋu woman, originally from Galiwinku on Elcho Island in North East Arnhem Land, NT. Leila has called the lands of the Kulin Nation and Victoria home since she was very young. She has deep rooted connections to Dja Dja Wurrung Country having grown up in Bendigo as well as familial ties to Taungurung and Wamba Wamba Country through her extended adopted Koorie family.

She is a media personality, a captivating presenter, a talented actor, a cultural ambassador, and a knowledgeable mentor. Leila’s passion for raising awareness, embracing cultural heritage, and fighting for a more inclusive and united society is truly remarkable. She is an inspiration to all, particularly in her tireless efforts to create a safe environment for minority groups.

As part of the Agency Projects team Leila is the Cultural Liaison and Public Programs Lead, where she works to create opportunities for First Nations perspectives to be heard by a wider audience.

Leila now lives, works and thrives on Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung Country.

UNTOLD Naarm is an established talk series that brings together First Nations communities, creatives and visual artists from across Australia, in a vibrant and accessible forum at Agency’s HQ in Naarm/Melbourne.

The 2025 program is, metaphorically, a ‘housewarming’, announcing and inviting local mob to join with Agency to tell their stories, explore their histories and share knowledge with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from across the county.

This program is designed for the Naarm community and visitors by Agency’s wonderful Leila Gurruwiwi.

*Image courtesy of The First Peoples Assembly