National Apology

What were you doing on the 13^th February 2008?  I don’t know about you, but I was in Canberra attending the "National Apology".

Sometimes I think that people are fearful and resistant to change, mainly due to a lack of information or knowledge about a subject.  Therefore my aim in today’s blog is to provide a brief overview and historical lead up to the “National Apology” that was delivered by Prime Minister, the Hon. Kevin Rudd MP.

I had the absolute honor of being present in Parliament House for this unforgettable occasion.  It actually was one of the most emotional and special days of my life.  It was the day that Prime Minister, the Hon. Kevin Rudd MP, moved a motion of Apology to Australia's Indigenous Peoples with specific reference to the Stolen Generations.

As a resident of South Australia and the National Apology being delivered in Canberra (ACT), I knew I wanted to be part of history in the making and arranged to go over and meet up with two other “Stolen Generation” women.  One of these women was originally from South Australia and the other was originally from Northern Territory, both had been separated from their birth families.  These women had been my soul sisters and support networks for many years previous to the National Apology.  It was all a bit of a last minute decision, but in the end we did manage to get organised and get ourselves over to Canberra.

L-R: Trisha, Joy (me), Mary

We didn’t really have a plan of action about where we were going to sit or whether we could even get into Parliament House to be physically present for the National Apology.  We were not part of the group of Stolen Generation representatives that were honored to sit in the House of Representatives Gallery at Parliament House for the National Apology.  However, we were allowed to view the proceedings from screens set up in the Great Hall. There were thousands of other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and other Australians watching the National Apology from the lawns outside Parliament House on huge screens too.   The National Apology was also being broadcast live around every state and Territory in Australia; it was an occasion of National significance.  

The National Apologies main message was;

'For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.'

Kevin Rudd says "Sorry" - National Apology

The National Apology was basically an outcome of the just one of the 54 recommendations and findings of the “The Bringing Them Home Report”, which was a Royal Commission (a major government public inquiry into an issue) into the practices of removing and separating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families and was tabled in Parliament on 26 May 1997. Read more:   http://reconciliaction.org.au/nsw/education-kit/stolen-generations/#bringing
 

After “The Bringing Them Report” was tabled on May 26, 1997, the day became of National significance and became known as “National Sorry Day” as supported by the National Sorry Day Committee. The first Sorry Day was held in Sydney in 1998, it is now commemorated nationally with thousands of Australians from all walks of life participating in memorial services, commemorative meetings, survival celebrations and community gatherings to honour the Stolen Generations.  Read more about the National Sorry Day Committee: http://www.nsdc.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=20&Itemid=51
 

Since the National Apology it has been contemplated and debated amongst Aboriginal people whether to continue to have a “National Sorry Day” on May 26^th, every year or whether to embrace the new day of celebration and commemorate the 13^th February to acknowledge the day when the nation stopped and said “Sorry”.  I know my answer to that question, but you will just have to read my book to find out the answer.

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Until next time.  Enjoy! 

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.

Stolen Generations fact sheet
 http://reconciliaction.org.au/nsw/education-kit/stolen-generations/
 Stolen Generations timeline
http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/politics/stolen-generations-timeline.html
 Bringing Them Home Report (link)
http://centralstolengens.org.au/


AIATSIS
http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/fhu/linkup.html
Another related and useful resource;
Rabbit-Proof Fence (movie)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0252444/

Where it all began!

Hello again everyone!  Thank you for all of your wonderful and encouraging words, they are gratefully appreciated.  So now down to business.  

Today I thought that I'd go a bit backwards before I move forwards.  By this I mean, I will tell you where my idea to write my autobiography came from.  Obviously I won't be telling you everything that is going to be in my book, but this post will be like the "making" of the book details.  I've got to leave some elements of surprise for the book!

I first decided that I needed to write my story after my eldest son Jordan, who is soon to be 14 years old, was born.  Prior to Jordan being born my life had been relatively "normal".  The only difference was that I was an Aboriginal girl growing up in a white family.  It wasn't until I was a young adult that I realized that I in fact was also a member of the "Stolen Generation".  I don't think that the impact of this knowledge really hit me until I became a first time mother.  I am certain that it opened the emotional floodgates that for the previous 24 years had been securely locked.  It was this emotional release and turmoil that later kick started my determination to bring my story of seeking my true identity to you.  Hence 10 years later, plus a few more tales and life  lessons learned I will soon be sharing my life in the form of my book.  


For the benefit of those of you who haven't seen any of my childhood photo's I have provided a photo of mini me at the age of 6 years old. 

 Until next time, stay posted.   Joy  xoxox