Strengthening Treaty Understanding: The Role of Education in Building Durable Indigenous–State Agreements

Education is a central mechanism for ensuring that Indigenous–State treaties are understood, supported and endure through political change. Public knowledge shapes the negotiation, acceptance, implementation and long-term stability of agreements. In Australia, however, treaty knowledge remains fragmented. Misconceptions about purpose, legal status, and implications persist, limiting constructive debate and hindering meaningful engagement. Drawing on data from the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC) (N = 1179), we examine treaty perspectives among Indigenous youths and their primary caregivers, as well as teachers, school leaders and Indigenous education workers. The findings reveal widespread recognition of treaty importance, alongside limited self-reported understanding, reflecting the absence of consistent treaty education across school systems. This gap contributes to uncertainty, misinformation and uneven public participation. Drawing on established treaty education models from Aotearoa New Zealand, we outline curriculum reforms that could deepen public understanding, strengthen treaty legitimacy and support Indigenous self-determination. Treaty education is not simply a policy intervention. It is a pathway toward truth-telling, self-determination and more just Indigenous–State relations that can shift Australia's public conversation in lasting ways.