A Victorian Indigenous leader has called for systems that were designed to "separate, displace, and break" Indigenous families to be inverted, in a rebuke of the current failing of the child protection system in the state.

Speaking at the Ngaweeyan Maar-oo Victorian Aboriginal Early Years Summit on Dja Dja Wurrung Country earlier this month, Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) chief executive Jill Gallagher called for Aboriginal-led organisations to be empowered, arguing in turn, they would be able to shape policies and practices that promote the self-determination and prosperity of families and communities.

"We need to look at families," Ms Gallagher said. "We cannot afford to just look at children."

"Because you might protect the child, and the child might go into either kinship care or institutionalisation...be but they're still not healthy because they don't have their family."

The Gunditjmara woman has been at the forefront of self-determination in Victoria, campaigning for the failed yes vote ahead of the Voice referendum last year and advocating for Treaty in the upcoming negotiations between the First Peoples' Assembly - on behalf of Indigenous people across Victoria - and the state government.

Earlier this year, her seemingly innocuous comments at the state treaty gathering in Geelong, where she noted Indigenous people should be "exempt from land tax, including stamp duty, and council rates," caused a furore in some sections of the media.

Speaking at the conference, Ms Gallagher said it was going to take "both systems" - families and children - to make change.

"We need to band together," she said.

She called for Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHO) to be funded and empowered to enact self-determination, which Indigenous groups argue leads to better learning, development, health, wellbeing, and outcomes for Aboriginal families.

"We need to band together; we need to demand, government to commit to long-term, ongoing [and] adequate resources to look at prevention and early intervention," Ms Gallagher said.

Speaking to the attendees - which included the Treat Minister Natalie Hutchins; commissioner for Aboriginal children and young people, Meena Singh; and SNAICC chief executive Catherine Liddle - she added: "It'd be great if it was a recommendation from this forum".

Indigenous children are disproportionately impacted when it comes to child removal, with the Yoorrook Justice Commission last year recommending the state implement a First Nations-controlled child protection system.

Last week, it was reported a 17-year-old Wemba Wemba girl took her life after her time in a "racist" child protection system.

She had asked for "support with connecting with my Aboriginal heritage, Elders and community," as well as support from the Aboriginal community, however her requests to child protection services were ignored.

VACCHO have long-called for a recalibration on the outcomes provided by a tertiary-only focus in child protection, instead advocating for an increased focus on prevention and early intervention.

Guardian Australia previously revealed Victoria's Department of Fairness, Families and Housing (DFFH) - who are in charge of child protection in the state - are preparing for a "likely transfer" of powers to Indigenous groups as a result of the Treaty negotiations this year.

"250 years of long silence — it has to end," Ms Gallagher said.

"We can only do this together…it's not about pointing blame at any service provider out there, because we are all doing our best.

"But we have to change the way we think."