Finding the joy within: But you weren't stolen

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

But you weren't stolen

A few words from Joy - Please check this out after you have read below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duK4xjMYrtg

Hi Everyone. Today I want to talk about and clarify the term “Stolen Generation”. I don’t actually talk about this term a great deal in my book, probably because I assumed that everyone knew what it meant.

I have since realised that;

“We should never ASSUME anything, because it just makes an ASS out of U and ME.”

Eeeeyyyyyyoooorrrrreeee!!!!!

Anyway, it has become apparent to me that there are people who think “But you weren’t stolen” so you can’t describe yourself as a member of the stolen generation.

The term “Stolen Generation” refers to so much more than the two individual English words that it is made up of. When combined these two words capture the essence of Aboriginal Australian history. This sequence of Australian historical events and policies can also be traced in a timeline that reflects like a mirror in so many Aboriginal family histories. The method of removal of Aboriginal children does not determine whether individuals can be classified as “members” of the “Stolen Generation”. The mere fact that an Aboriginal child has been removed, despite whether it was with or without permission, indicates to me that something has been taken away. In fact, despite the child being willingly given up or forcibly removed, what is being taken away or “stolen” is the child’s connection to their culture, language, land, community, customs, traditions and knowledge. Therefore the specific circumstances are irrelevant because the result is the same and the assimilation policy continues to perpetuate.

So no, I wasn’t “stolen” and yes, I do acknowledge that my birth mum did return me to the hospital, for reasons that I am sure were heavily impacted by Aboriginal Australian history.

I am therefore not going to give you a black Australian history lesson here. However, what I will do is to provide you with the most powerful tool in the world and that is knowledge. This involves using your mind, however the only thing is;

“It’s a bit like a parachute; it only works when it’s open.”

Here are some useful links;

Please take the time to have a close look at the following reports and documents and remember every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family has been affected by these past policies.