Stolen Generations: The Way Forward

Editor: Justin Healey ISBN 978 1 920801 99 1 Year 2009 Price: $20.95		Stolen Generations: The way forward Volume 289, Issues in Society Since the federal Government’s apology to Indigenous Australians over past welfare policies of forced removal of children, debate has continued over how to move beyond symbolism with practical measures aimed at healing the traumatic effects of historic wrongs and ameliorating Indigenous disadvantage. This book explores the history of Reconciliation and the Stolen Generations, and includes personal stories of removal and reactions to the apology. It also looks ahead and examines the debate over proposals to act on recommendations from the ‘Bringing Them Home’ report which urges dealing with ‘unfinished business’, including monetary compensation and programs aimed at redressing disadvantage. Is saying ‘sorry’ enough? Chapter 1 National Apology to the Stolen Generations Stolen Generations fact sheet, Sorry? The unfinished business of the ‘Bringing Them Home’ report, ‘Bringing Them Home’ chronology, State and territory apologies, Apology to Stolen Generations: questions and answers, Questions about the apology, The Stolen Generations’ apology – 7 handy mythbusters, The apology to Australia’s Indigenous peoples, No apology from Howard for three reasons, By fostering trust, apology can close gap, Compensation ruled out, but special fund proposed. Chapter 2 Unfinished Business: The Ongoing Debate Building a bridge to a better future, Out of fine words, a national opportunity, Forget black armbands, this is about healing, For good deeds, there should be no apology, Finally their voices will be heard, Sorry will only be the beginning, After the apology, Don’t let facts spoil the day, Why the compensation question won’t go away, When words aren’t enough, Fix the white system, not the ‘Aboriginal problem’, Rudd fans the flames of the culture wars, More than words needed to make apology count, Warm and fuzzy feelings won’t save anyone. Glossary; Fast Facts; Web Links; Index

		FAST FACTS from this volume
The forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families was official government policy from 1909 to 1969. However the practice took place both before and after this period. Governments, churches and welfare bodies all took part. In the 1990s the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission started a national inquiry into the practice of removing children. The Bringing Them Home report on the national inquiry into the separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children was tabled in Parliament on 26 May 1997. The report outlined the devastating impact the child removal policies had on children and their families. It found that many of the institutions and homes in which the children were placed were very cruel, and sexual and physical abuse of the children was common. It found that many of the people who managed the removals, including both the government and churches, abused their power and breached their supposed obligations as protectors and ‘carers’. While many Aboriginal groups feel they can never be adequately compensated for the loss of their families, since the Bringing Them Home report was released there has been a strong campaign for an official apology by the Australian Government. One of the key recommendations of the report was an official apology from the government, as well as financial compensation for the suffering caused by the government. In 2007 a new Labor Government was elected, and promised to finally make an official apology to the Stolen Generations. At the first session of the new Federal Parliament, on 13 February 2008, the new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued an official apology to the Stolen Generations on behalf of the Government ... During the apology the Prime Minister ruled out financial compensation for the Stolen Generations, but reconfirmed the Government’s commitment to focus on ‘closing the gap’ – to raise the health of Indigenous people so it matches those of other Australians. Under the previous Howard Government the Common-wealth Parliament did not agree to a full apology but expressed ‘deep and sincere regret’ for unspecified past injustices as part of a Motion of Reconciliation on 26 August 1999. The only government to offer compensation to Indigenous stolen children to date is the Tasmanian Labor government. The Tasmanian Stolen Generations of Aboriginal Children Act 2006 created a $5 million fund to provide payments to eligible members of the Stolen Generations of Aborigines and their children. An Office of the Stolen Generations Assessor was established and claims for compensation were scheduled to be determined by January 2008. In December 2007 the Western Australian Government announced a $114 million redress scheme, to be known as Redress WA, for all children who were abused while in State care, including members of the Stolen Generations. Some individuals have sought compensation through the courts. To date Bruce Trevorrow has been the only successful plaintiff to obtain monetary compensation. The Supreme Court of South Australia found that the state of South Australia was liable for injury suffered by Trevorrow that resulted from removal from his family as a child without their knowledge or consent. The reality of Australia’s Stolen Generations is not a thing of the distant past. Children were being inappropriately removed from their families by Australian authorities until 1969. Many people affected by the tragedy of the Stolen Generations are still alive today and live with its effects. Following on from apologies already made by all State and Territory governments and the churches, an official apology to members of the Stolen Generations by the Australian Government is an important step towards building a respectful new relationship between us as Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Respectful relationships are essential if we are to solve persistent problems. It is true that some Indigenous children were removed from their families on genuine welfare grounds. It is also true that some children who were removed received some advantages, for example in education, but the overwhelming impact of the forced removal policy was damaging. It’s important to understand that the “Stolen Generations” refer to those children who were removed on the basis of their race alone. In contrast with the removal of non-Indigenous children, proof of neglect was not always required to remove Indigenous children. That one of their parents was of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent was enough. The predominant aim of the forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families was to absorb or assimilate children with mixed ancestry into the non-Indigenous community. The word ‘sorry’ holds special meaning in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. In many Aboriginal communities, sorry is an adapted English word used to describe the rituals surrounding death (Sorry Business). Sorry, in these contexts, is also often used to express empathy or sympathy rather than responsibility. An apology from the Australian Government to the Stolen Generations is one important step in achieving the overarching objective of reconciliation which is to close the 17-year life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. It is important because it removes a barrier to us establishing a more respectful relationship as Indigenous and non-Indigenous fellow Australians. Closing the life expectancy gap involves consistent, long-term action by governments, and by all Australians, in health, education, housing, employment etc and also in building respectful relationships that generate better outcomes for us all. In June 2008 a federal parliamentary committee recom-mended a “healing” fund be set up to help members of the Stolen Generations, but knocked back the suggestion of compensation payments. The healing fund should be used for health, education, counselling, family support and funeral services for surviving members, the committee report said. But it noted that in recommending against compensation it was going against the wishes of most people it heard from during the investigation.

The forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families was official government policy from 1909 to 1969. However the practice took place both before and after this period. Governments, churches and welfare bodies all took part.
In the 1990s the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission started a national inquiry into the practice of removing children. The Bringing Them Home report on the national inquiry into the separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children was tabled in Parliament on 26 May 1997. The report outlined the devastating impact the child removal policies had on children and their families. It found that many of the institutions and homes in which the children were placed were very cruel, and sexual and physical abuse of the children was common. It found that many of the people who managed the removals, including both the government and churches, abused their power and breached their supposed obligations as protectors and ‘carers’.
While many Aboriginal groups feel they can never be adequately compensated for the loss of their families, since the Bringing Them Home report was released there has been a strong campaign for an official apology by the Australian Government. One of the key recommendations of the report was an official apology from the government, as well as financial compensation for the suffering caused by the government.
In 2007 a new Labor Government was elected, and promised to finally make an official apology to the Stolen Generations. At the first session of the new Federal Parliament, on 13 February 2008, the new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued an official apology to the Stolen Generations on behalf of the Government ... During the apology the Prime Minister ruled out financial compensation for the Stolen Generations, but reconfirmed the Government’s commitment to focus on ‘closing the gap’ – to raise the health of Indigenous people so it matches those of other Australians.
Under the previous Howard Government the Common-wealth Parliament did not agree to a full apology but expressed ‘deep and sincere regret’ for unspecified past injustices as part of a Motion of Reconciliation on 26 August 1999.
The only government to offer compensation to Indigenous stolen children to date is the Tasmanian Labor government. The Tasmanian Stolen Generations of Aboriginal Children Act 2006 created a $5 million fund to provide payments to eligible members of the Stolen Generations of Aborigines and their children. An Office of the Stolen Generations Assessor was established and claims for compensation were scheduled to be determined by January 2008.
In December 2007 the Western Australian Government announced a $114 million redress scheme, to be known as Redress WA, for all children who were abused while in State care, including members of the Stolen Generations.
Some individuals have sought compensation through the courts. To date Bruce Trevorrow has been the only successful plaintiff to obtain monetary compensation. The Supreme Court of South Australia found that the state of South Australia was liable for injury suffered by Trevorrow that resulted from removal from his family as a child without their knowledge or consent.
The reality of Australia’s Stolen Generations is not a thing of the distant past. Children were being inappropriately removed from their families by Australian authorities until 1969. Many people affected by the tragedy of the Stolen Generations are still alive today and live with its effects.
Following on from apologies already made by all State and Territory governments and the churches, an official apology to members of the Stolen Generations by the Australian Government is an important step towards building a respectful new relationship between us as Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Respectful relationships are essential if we are to solve persistent problems.
It is true that some Indigenous children were removed from their families on genuine welfare grounds. It is also true that some children who were removed received some advantages, for example in education, but the overwhelming impact of the forced removal policy was damaging.
It’s important to understand that the “Stolen Generations” refer to those children who were removed on the basis of their race alone. In contrast with the removal of non-Indigenous children, proof of neglect was not always required to remove Indigenous children. That one of their parents was of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent was enough.
The predominant aim of the forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families was to absorb or assimilate children with mixed ancestry into the non-Indigenous community.
The word ‘sorry’ holds special meaning in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. In many Aboriginal communities, sorry is an adapted English word used to describe the rituals surrounding death (Sorry Business). Sorry, in these contexts, is also often used to express empathy or sympathy rather than responsibility.
An apology from the Australian Government to the Stolen Generations is one important step in achieving the overarching objective of reconciliation which is to close the 17-year life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. It is important because it removes a barrier to us establishing a more respectful relationship as Indigenous and non-Indigenous fellow Australians.
Closing the life expectancy gap involves consistent, long-term action by governments, and by all Australians, in health, education, housing, employment etc and also in building respectful relationships that generate better outcomes for us all.
In June 2008 a federal parliamentary committee recom-mended a “healing” fund be set up to help members of the Stolen Generations, but knocked back the suggestion of compensation payments. The healing fund should be used for health, education, counselling, family support and funeral services for surviving members, the committee report said. But it noted that in recommending against compensation it was going against the wishes of most people it heard from during the investigation.