Friday, May 26, 2006

National Sorry Day

Who's Sorry Now? The entire country of Australia marks its National Sorry Day today, May 26, 2006. This is what it's about - taking 100,000 Aboriginal children from their homes beginning in 1910.

It's a sad story:

The Stolen Generations

Between 1910 and 1970 up to 100,000 Aboriginal children were taken forcibly or under duress from their families by police or welfare officers .

Most were under 5 years old. There was rarely any judicial process. To be Aboriginal was enough.

They are known as the ‘stolen generations’.

What happened to them?

  • Most were raised in Church or state institutions. Some were fostered or adopted by white parents.
  • Many suffered physical and sexual abuse. Food and living conditions were poor.
  • They received little education, and were expected to go into low grade domestic and farming work.

Why were they taken?

They were taken because it was Federal and State Government policy that Aboriginal children - especially those of mixed Aboriginal and European descent - should be removed from their parents.

Between 10 and 30% of all Aboriginal children were removed, and in some places these policies continued into the 1970s.

  • The main motive was to ‘assimilate’ Aboriginal children into European society over one or two generations by denying and destroying their Aboriginality.
  • Speaking their languages and practising their ceremonies was forbidden
  • They were taken miles from their country, some overseas
  • Parents were not told where their children were and could not trace them
  • Children were told that they were orphans
  • Family visits were discouraged or forbidden; letters were destroyed.