Stolen By History

Thousands of Indigenous people are gathering in Canberra for tomorrow’s apology in Parliament to the Stolen Generations, those Aboriginal children, usually illigitimate and of mixed race, who were taken from their homes and sent to missions, orphanages or to live with white families. The practice continued for decades, only ending in the 1970s (Stolen or Saved?).

There is, of course, the debate about what such an apology signifies and whether it is of any worth without compensation, and also about exactly what the apology is for. Once again, Cape York Indigenous leader Noel Pearson says it all. Here’s an extract:

"The truth is the removal of Aboriginal children and the breaking up of Aboriginal families is a history of complexity and great variety. People were stolen, people were rescued; people were brought in chains, people were brought by their parents; mixed-blood children were in danger from their tribal stepfathers, while others were loved and treated as their own; people were in danger from whites, and people were protected by whites. The motivations and actions of those whites involved in this history -- governments and missions -- ranged from cruel to caring, malign to loving, well-intentioned to evil………my view is that Aboriginal people's lives were stolen by history."

It’s worth noting that while many Indigenous people will be in the public gallery tomorrow, there are no Indigenous members of the House of Representatives and therefore there will be no Indigenous voice in the chamber debate. In fact, I know of only one Indigenous person even working in the building and he lost his job after the election.