Australia's Stolen Generation

Post by Arreana A.

I will admit that this doesn't have anything to do with Creation stories, if much at all, I saw this video and thought back to the beginning of the quarter and Karina Walter's piece on Indigenous Historic Trauma.

The video I've linked you too I found while perusing YouTube at my own leisure. As a fellow sufferer of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), I too felt the impact of the Australian Government's apology to the Indigenous societies. The personal interviews alone confirm Karina Walter's theory of the importance of vindication, an idea I personally feel and promote. Though the Australian Government has very far to go before they have made up their horrible and numerous sins against the Australian Aboriginal peoples, this apology, given by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, is a step in the right direction.

The apology is given after more then a hundred years of Indigenous repression. In particular this apology was aimed at what's been termed as “Australia's Stolen Generation”. From 1869 to 1969 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were made wards of the state, removed from their families by government programs and missionary programs and placed into orphanages, internment camps and other institutions. As you'll see in the video, the government went as far to erase the child's heritage and change the child's name in order to hide the child from the parents. At the worst of times children faced abuse at the hand of their new “caretakers” and since 1969 have had to live with these traumatic experiences. The apology by Kevin Rudd arrived late: February 13^th, 2008, but – as the saying goes – better late then never.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9mJpL67QUw

I hope that Australia continues this trend of repentance. I would love to see Aboriginal land returned to the people, and for a greater knowledge of their cultural beliefs and TEK to gain acceptance and voice throughout the country.

Again, sorry this isn't anything about a creation story, I just wanted to share.

The picture above is of Kevin Rudd receiving the relieved Indigenious peoples on the day of his apology. Kevin Rudd, it should be said, did this as one of his first acts after being appointed Prime Minister. Well done, I say.