Change slide - Introduction to the Stolen Generations 0 s - 0.53 s
The Stolen Generations refers to the forcible removal of Aboriginal, mostly those who were not full blooded taken between the 1830’s and the 1970’s. They were removed due to their mixed heritage, consisting of Indigenous mothers and European fathers. The Stolen Generations have had a damaging effect on the native owners of Australia, their culture, their identity and most importantly, their sense of belonging,
Change slide - Jennifer (quote)
as Jennifer, a victim states, “I feel our childhood has been taken away from us and it has left a big hole in our lives.”
Can you imagine how traumatic the experience was for these mothers losing their children?
In removing Indigenous
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children, the Europeans stole the Aboriginal people’s future, their tradition, their culture, their language and their spirituality. It was thought that their race was an embarrassment to Australia and therefore should be eradicated. By fragmenting these hopes, it was believed that the ‘Aboriginal problem’ would be gotten rid of. During the 20th century Assimilation policy, it was thought that after three generations, the Aboriginal genes would have been bred out over time. Assimilation occurs when a group of people, in this case, the Aboriginal children, were taught to have nothing to do with their culture. Change slide - Barbara (quote) Here is what Barbara, who was a member of the Stolen Generations had to say, “It was a presumption for many years that we girls would grow up and marry nice white boys. We would have nice fairer children who, if they were girls, would marry white boys again and eventually the colour would die out. That was the original plan - the whole removal policy was based on the women because the women could breed.” Change Slide - Ruth’s Story (4.59 - 6.08) Beginning in the 1830’s and continuing up to the early 1970’s, many children were taken away from their families in an attempt to put an end to the “Aboriginal race”, ordered by the Australian Government at the time. Even to this day, many Government policies and practices in attempt to overcome these challenges have not yet been overcome. Aboriginal societies are still suffering the consequences of the actions of the Europeans. Change slide - Rhonda Collard (quote) This is a heart breaking statement by another victim of the Stolen Generations, Rhonda Collard, who states, “I grew up feeling alone, a black girl in a white world, and I resented them for trying to make me white but they couldn't wash away thousands of years of dreaming”.
This quote refers to the Aboriginal spirituality of the Dreamtime stories and how they have been destroyed. While adult Aboriginal people resisted efforts to be driven out of towns by simply coming back, children who were taken away were much easier to be controlled.
Change slide - Aboriginal Artwork
Under the Protectionism policy, the protector would order soldiers/police to go into settlements and remove any child who, quite clearly had lighter skin. These children were sent to missions or churches which often treated them cruelly, starved them, and generally turned them into slaves. Unfortunately, Europeans truly believed that the Aboriginals were an inferior race. They had no churches or kept records, to them tradition was passed down orally and land boundaries were simply a part of nature. For this reason, Europeans often felt that they were doing the Indigenous a favour by making all of the decisions.
Change slide - Why were the girls taken?
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(image) The lack of education given to the stolen children was astounding, the darker the child’s skin, the less education they received. Those that looked “most Indigenous” were sent to properties or stations to work as house maids or stock men. They were never paid in money, rather, they were given rations and barely adequate shelter. Quite often, boys and girls were mentally, physically or sexually abused, mostly by their foster family, they worked 24 hours a day and were cruelly punished, usually by beating. Many lived in fear and tried to escape, if they ever succeeded, they were tracked, usually by Aboriginal trackers and faced harsh consequences, and sometimes, even death! A principal effect of this forcible removal was the destruction of cultural links, language, land and identity which were stripped from the children with the desired outcome being that traditional law and culture would die. The loss of cultural links not only impacted on the children, but also their families who quite often, never saw these children ever again. Change slide - Lynne Datnow (quote) As a result of this alienation, anger and frustration gave way to violence and lawlessness.
Lynne Datnow from the Victorian Koori Kids Mental Network states, “I think there is a connection between people’s loss of identity and their experience of lawlessness and being jailed.” Suicide rates rose, as did alcoholism, general lack of self-worth and lack of hygiene, which led to many illnesses, both mental and physical. Sadly, many of these problems still exist today.
Change Slide - Aboriginal artwork
Another impact of the Stolen Generations was that they were unable to establish their genealogy and this was a great hindrance to them being able to establish any Land Rights claim. Central to Aboriginal spirituality is their ‘Country’ also known as the land to which they belong or ‘Mother Earth’. Because all cultural links had been broken, there was no connection to their ‘country’ at all.
In 1965, an Integration policy was introduced, meaning cultures embracing each other. Although many attempts have been made, including ‘Sorry Day’ and a ‘National Apology’ by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, the scars run deep and it is sad to know that there are generations whose roots will never be identified. As well today, self-determination is practised, which means that in any matter pertaining to Aboriginals, then, they have a
say. In summary, the effects of the removal still occur today. Many of these children experience rejection, low self-esteem, mental illness and depression. They are unable to become involved in the cultural or spiritual life of the community and are more vulnerable to abuse. Imagine if you didn’t know where you came from, your origin, your relatives, your land. How would you feel if you had no identity at all?
There have been many unanswered questions in Australia about Aboriginal history. One of these is which government policy towards indigenous people has had the largest impact on Indigenous Australians? Through research the Assimilation Policy had the largest impact upon Indigenous Australians and the three supporting arguments to prove this are the Aborigines losing their rights to freedom, Aboriginal children being removed from their families, and finally the loss of aboriginality.
...ndigenous recognition and the removal of racist remarks has been an on-going theme for a vast majority of time. The necessity of Constitutional reform to close the gap on cultural divide as well as support the on-going concept of reconciliation is essential in ensuring Australia continues to improve and nurture its relationship with Indigenous peoples. The process of amendment through referendum has proven to be problematic in the past, with the success rate exceptionally low. Though with key factors such as bi-partisan support, widespread public knowledge and correct management, the alteration to remove racial discrimination and provide recognition for Indigenous persons within the Constitution is highly achievable. If proposed and eventually passed, this will provide assistance in eliminating many of the cultural gaps Indigenous persons face throughout society.
Struggles by Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people for recognition of their rights and interests have been long and arduous (Choo & Hollobach: 2003:5). The ‘watershed’ decision made by the High Court of Australia in 1992 (Mabo v Queensland) paved the way for Indigenous Australians to obtain what was ‘stolen’ from them in 1788 when the British ‘invaded’ (ATSIC:1988). The focus o...
The stolen generation is a scenario carry out by the Australian government to separate most aboriginal people’s families. The government was enforced take the light skinned aboriginal kids away from their guardians to learn the white people’s culture in the campus around the country and then send them back to their hometown and prohibit them join the white people’s society after they turn be an adult. The
As European domination began, the way in which the European’s chose to deal with the Aborigines was through the policy of segregation. This policy included the establishment of a reserve system. The government reserves were set up to take aboriginals out of their known habitat and culture, while in turn, encouraging them to adapt the European way of life. The Aboriginal Protection Act of 1909 established strict controls for aborigines living on the reserves . In exchange for food, shelter and a little education, aborigines were subjected to the discipline of police and reserve managers. They had to follow the rules of the reserve and tolerate searchers of their homes and themselves. Their children could be taken away at any time and ‘apprenticed” out as cheap labour for Europeans. “The old ways of the Aborigines were attacked by regimented efforts to make them European” . Their identities were threatened by giving them European names and clothes, and by removing them from their tra...
The Stolen Generations was a time period roughly between 1910 and 1970, in which countless Indigenous Australian children were forcibly removed from their families and homes under the implementation of government policies. Thus, many have been separated from their origins, and have sought to understand their identity, despite their estranged relationship with their Aboriginal history. The struggle to understand one’s Aboriginal identity has been one of the most prominent results of Australia’s colonial history, especially as the Australian government at the time, primarily deemed Aboriginality to be defined
...rial covered in the unit Aboriginal People that I have been studying at the University of Notre Dame Fremantle, Aboriginal people have had a long history of being subjected to dispossession and discriminatory acts that has been keep quite for too long. By standing together we are far more likely to achieve long lasting positive outcomes and a better future for all Australians.
In its broadest sense ‘Reconciliation’ is the Australian term that refers to the unity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. To support reconciliation means working to overcome the separation and inequality between all Australians (Australia, n.d.). In 1992, then Prime Minister Paul Keating, delivered the Redfern Park speech that publically acknowledged European soldiers were responsible for many crimes against Indigenous communities, "We committed the murders. We took the children from their mothers. We practiced discrimination and exclusion. It was our ignorance and our prejudice (Government, 1992)." Since 1993, Reconciliation Week is a national event that celebrates a positive and respectful relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. It enables all Australians to close the gaps, and to achieve a shared sense of fairness and justice. The ultimate goal of the week is to build a strong and trusting relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and other Australians, as a foundation for success and to enhance national wellbeing (Australia, n.d.). However, this advocacy for Indigenous rights and recognition was advanced be civil right activists in the 1950’s and 1960’s. One significant activist from this period and until her death in 1993 was Oodgeroo Noonuccal. Oodgeroo Noonuccal has significantly contributed to the civil rights of the Indigenous people in Australia due to her tireless campaigning to educate non-Indigenous Australians and enact political change that would not only recognize Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander people within the census but further understand their rich and diverse culture. Noonuccal’s contribution can be seen through her significa...
The next policy brought in was the policy of self determination this, was very welcomed by the aboriginal community, as it gave the aboriginals back some of their rights. As the relationship between non-indigenous Australians and indigenous Australians improved, there was a high demand for reconciliation. With many opinions including why the people of today should say sorry for the past Australians injustices. The affects from reconciliation were caused by the controversial approach; there have been numerous speeches, activities and ‘sorry days’. The affects from all the policies varied greatly, due to the differences in the policies. The affects caused change the path of history and have gotten us where we are today.
The Stolen Generation is seen as a grave chapter in our countries history and in Aboriginal History. Stolen Generation didn’t come to light until the 1960s and early 1970s with public shock and anger. The rights of Aboriginal peoples during this point were increasingly low as many were forced to live on reserves or missions and their children were taken at a young age. The rights of the stolen generation were somewhat better than their previous generation as they had a right to have a good job, health care and have and raise children as their parents had none of these rights. The assimilation program was a way to turn these Aboriginal children and essential “turn them white”; this can be seen as a violation of human rights and international law. The Aboriginals had virtually no rights when it came to starting a family and the stolen generation was used to show Australia the atrocities that have been happening in this country for two hundred year...
Since the time of federation the Aboriginal people have been fighting for their rights through protests, strikes and the notorious ‘day of mourning’. However, over the last century the Australian federal government has generated policies which manage and restrained that of the Aboriginal people’s rights, citizenships and general protection. The Australian government policy that has had the most significant impact on indigenous Australians is the assimilation policy. The reasons behind this include the influences that the stolen generation has had on the indigenous Australians, their relegated rights and their entitlement to vote and the impact that the policy has had on the indigenous people of Australia.
The Stolen Generation has had a profound impact on every aspect of the lives of Indigenous communities. It has jeopardised their very survival. It has impoverished their capacity to control and direct their future development. The Stolen Generation has corrupted, devastated and destroyed the souls, hopes and beliefs of many Australian lives through damaging assimilation policies established in an attempt to make a ‘White Australia’ possible. Discrimination, racism and prejudice are some of the many permanent scars upon Indigenous life that will never be repaired. However, recently Rudd and the Australian public have sincerely apologised for the detrimental effects the Stolen Generation had caused. The Stolen Generation has dramatically shaped Australian history and culture.
Australians also are also learning to value the diversity that is present in their history. There is now broad public recognition of the special place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia’s original inhabitants as opposed to the European settlers in the 17th century. While Indigenous Australians still lack both equality of opportunity and equality of outcome, serious a...
Issue 1- The Institute of Postcolonial Studies * Stolen Generation [accessed July 2003] Stolen Generation. www.dreamtime.net.au/indigenous/family.cfm
The Stolen Generation suffered impacts negatively because of the removal of children. The Stolen Generation was a dark time for the Indigenous Australians. Their children were taken away at the age of 4 to live in orphanages and at the age of 14, children were sent away to become housemaids or sent away to do labour work. In the late 1930's, a national conference was held to discuss the details of the ‘Assimilation Practice' and for Australia to adopt the ‘Assimilation Practice' nationwide. Children were removed from their home for alleged abuse, neglect, medical treatment & education.