The theme was ‘All In’ and the FNP team really got involved with engagements across the country.
Stronger Smarter Together Summit
In the lead up to Reconciliation Week (27 May to 3 June), Vice-President (First Nations) Professor Peter Yu spoke at the two-day in Meeanjin (Brisbane).
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 and banks," he said. 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 addressed the conference theme with a grounded view of what it can mean in practice.
The Stronger Smarter Institute has spent more than two decades transforming educational practice across more than 2,000 schools, positively influencing the lives and learning outcomes of over 50,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The Institute’s 2026 summit brought together educators, policymakers, cultural leaders, community voices and decision-makers “coming together to create the ideas that will influence our future social, cultural and educational landscape”.
Broome Indigenous Business Forum
On May 26 Professor Yu delivered the keynote address at the inaugural . Professor Yu said there are emerging local, regional, national and international economic opportunities for Indigenous businesses in the Kimberley. "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, and Rubibi (Broome) could become Australia's northern gateway and entry point for doing business with Asia and China as an alternative to Darwin.
The forum brought together Indigenous business leaders, aspiring entrepreneurs and industry experts to share insights, build connections and explore opportunities for growth and collaboration. The Broome Chamber of Commerce and Industry invited Professor Yu to speak.
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, Professor Yu said truth-telling and trust were key to delivering economic self-determination and real reconciliation and the importance of ongoing legal action to gain more recognition of Indigenous land rights.
“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 legal 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 Parliamentary Librarian Steven Fox.