The VicRoads signs were recently installed in areas including on the Hume Highway at Chiltern and Great Alpine Road at Everton.

Other signs are in place in the Warby Ranges.

There has been a long running dispute over whether the region is Yorta Yorta or Bpangerang country.

Eldorado woman Roxanne Bodsworth has launched a petition calling for Wangaratta Council to take up the issue with VicRoads, arguing "the Bpangerang have been recognised as the original inhabitants of these areas by local landholders since settlement".

Ms Bodsworth, who grew up with Bpangerang members, also known as Bangerang and Pangerang, says it's an important issue.

More than 200 people have signed the petition, with further support on social media.

"I figure if I make a complaint to VicRoads about it, that doesn't carry any sort of weight," she said.

"If council took on this issue on behalf of the Bpangerang, it would show to the local community how much this matters to us."

Ms Bodsworth said the signs were an insult to elders including Eddie Kneebone, Wally Cooper, Sandy Atkinson and Freddie Dowling.

Bangerang elder Kevin Atkinson said the information on the signs was wrong.

"Those signs are false information, when they say they're coming into Yorta Yorta country," he said.

"The clan groups know that's Bangerang or Bpangerang country.

IN OTHER NEWS:

"VicRoads should have been consulting with the clan groups in the area before the signs went up."

But the Yorta Yorta say their traditional lands include Wangaratta, and stretch roughly to Wodonga, Benalla and near Deniliquin.

The Yorta Yorta National Aboriginal Corporation says their traditional tribal lands cover 20,000 square kilometres.

Different maps attribute different areas to different groups.

Mr Atkinson said "there's a bit of confusion about who's who".

He said Yorta Yorta was considered a language but early European settlers considered the group a clan.

Ms Bodsworth said the petition, which had 227 signatures on Monday afternoon, would soon be sent to Wangaratta Council, while some of the signs are in other areas including Indigo Shire.

The petition calls "to have the signs removed and replaced with 'welcome to Bpangerang country'."

Comment is being sought from the Department of Transport over the matter.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: