Australian Government Will Make Long Overdue Apology to Native Aborigines
Australia is a beautiful country and its indigenous people, the Aborigines are a dignified and humble people. The Aborigines will receive a long overdue formal apology from the new Australian government regarding the forcible removal of mixed race Aboriginal children from their natural families from the 1910s to the 1970s. These groups of children are known as the "stolen generations." There is also hope that the Aborigines will be financially compensated for this tragic and devastating period in Australian history. If you don't know anything about this subject, then the film, Rabbit Proof Fence is a must see for you.
5 comments:
it is a good thing to try and correct wrongs that were done.....it may be too little too late for some, and i hope and pray that the gov't not only does these things, but also to change how they treat them in general....hummm, since the native people were there first...
thanks for sharing this...
I'll check for the movie.
I first learned about the Aboriginals in The Source. That was a heartbreaking read.
What does an apology really mean? It can't erase the pain, cultural genocide, and social ills that the actions from the past caused. I guess it's symbolic. What is more important than apologies is a change in the system that allowed the atrocities to occur in the first place. I think it's funny how they wanted to make it clear that the apology wasn't an indictment of this generation of white australians, as if they don't benefit from a system that has put them on the top and the original people on the bottom. It's just like the apologies that have been made by government and religious leaders for slavery. The apology was nice in a symbolic sort of way, but did it really mean anything? The system in America has not changed, it just manifests itself in a different form. The Australian system probably won't change either. Not trying to be negative here, just being realistic.
In Australia, this apology is a big deal. They flat out refused to do anything period for many years. They owe the Aborigines a lot more. It's a good start to a beginning of giving back to the people they have almost destroyed.
Unlike black folk, the Aborigines are barely hanging on. They will need government and social intervention to remain a living culture.
I saw "Rabbit Proof Fence" and it was harrowing and uplifting all at the same time. Imagine having lived on a continent for over 100,000 years and someone comes in and takes it all.
This is a first step, but there isn't enough Australia can do to compensate the Aborigines for all their pain and suffering.
I hope that throwing $$$ at the indigenous people isn't the whole plan and merely a part of a larger effort through education and opportunities for those who seek it.
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