On 13 February 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd formally apologised to Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander peoples for the mistreatment of the ‘Stolen Generations’, a group of people who were forced to leave their families and communities.
Today is National Sorry Day, a day to recognise and recognise the resilience of the Stolen Generations Survivors. It is also a day to reflect on how we, as Australians, can all contribute to the healing process of our people and our nation.
Today marks the anniversary of the day the Stolen Generations were first taken from their families. It is a day of remembrance and remembrance for the people who were taken from their families, but it is also a day of reflection.
On this day, Australians around the country come together to honour the Stolen Generations, and to recognise the strength of those who have been left behind.
National Sorry Day was first celebrated on 26 May, 1998, a year after the bringing them home report was presented in Parliament. This report was the outcome of a Government inquiry into past policies that led to children being taken from their homes and communities throughout the twentieth century.
Twenty-three years later, and 12 years after the national apology, Aboriginal children and Torres Strait islander children are 10.6x more likely to be taken from their families than non-Aboriginal children.
We can’t fix the issues of the past without acknowledging the reality of our past.
On 26 May, sorry day asks us to recognise the stolen generations.
But it also reminds us that historic injustice is still a source of ongoing trauma for our families, communities and peoples.
