Indigenous Lawyer Tekan Cochrane on Truth-Telling, Treaty, and Systemic Reform in Australia

• Indigenous lawyer Tekan Cochrane advocates for systemic reform to address the over-incarceration and family separation of First Nations peoples.
• Cochrane emphasizes that current challenges, such as "tough-on-crime" policies, are failures of the legal system rather than individuals.
• She highlights the importance of the Victorian Aboriginal Justice Agreement as a model for long-term, partnership-based reform.

Systemic Injustice and Reform

• Over-incarceration is described as a byproduct of punitive policies that criminalize poverty, trauma, and disability rather than addressing root causes.
• Solutions require a shift toward community-led diversion, culturally safe youth services, and justice reinvestment.
• The forced removal of Indigenous children—a modern "stolen" generation—must be countered by prioritizing family support, stable housing, and community-based services over crisis-driven removals.

Treaty and Reconciliation

• Victoria's legislated treaty framework is viewed as a historic opportunity to embed self-determination and truth-telling into state governance.
• The value of the treaty depends on concrete outcomes that address structural inequities in land, health, education, and justice.
• Regarding national reconciliation, Cochrane maintains that the 2023 constitutional referendum failure should not signal a retreat from justice; progress must continue through state-level processes and consistent, human-rights-based governance.

Advocacy and Professional Guidance

• Through her roles at Tarwirri and Women of Colour Australia, Cochrane works to amplify marginalized voices and advocate for intersectional justice.
• She encourages young Indigenous legal professionals to view their lived experience and cultural knowledge as professional assets rather than weaknesses.
• Resilience in the legal field is fostered by maintaining deep connections to "Country" and culture, which she defines as essential acts of resistance against systemic pressure to disconnect.