SORRY helps heal century old wounds

Wednesday 13 February 2008 was a very new day, a day of healing and sorrow and a day which will assist the nation to move forward as one.

The rain - which is said to cleanse the soul - could not dampen the sense of warmth and community among the thousands of people who packed into Martin Place in Sydney.

Even those without umbrellas who stood being drenched by the rain didn't take their eyes off the huge screen as Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd honoured a historic election commitment; to the apologise to the Stolen Generations.

Rudd used the word "sorry" not once but three times and the expression was greeted with cheers from the huge crowd in each instance.

At the conclusion of his address, Rudd - and you couldn't help but believe that the issue itself and its significance - received a standing ovation from both sides of Parliament and a roar of approval from the Martin Place crowd and no doubt the nation.

The PSA has a long and proud history of support for the Aboriginal people and their struggle for recognition and respect.

Rudd's words on 13 February 2008 went a long way towards helping to achieve both.

The following was prepared by Reconciliation Australia to help provide a greater understanding of the apology made to the Stolen Generations. It has been edited for space purposes.

Who are the Stolen Generations?

The term 'Stolen Generations' refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians who were forcibly removed from their families and communities by government, welfare or church authorities as children and placed into institutional care or with non-Indigenous foster families. The forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children began as early as the mid 1800's and continued until 1970.

This removal occurred as the result of official laws and policies aimed at assimilating the Indigenous population into the wider community.

The 1997 Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families, conducted by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission found that between 1 and 3 in 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were forcibly removed from their families and communities in the period from 1910 to 1970.

The Western Australian and Queensland Governments have confirmed that in that period all Indigenous families in those states were affected by the forced removal of children. It's not possible to know precisely how many children were taken because government records are poor and inaccurate.

The Stolen Generation should not be confused with other government policies which aimed to help Aboriginal children from remote areas to go to school with their parent's full consent. It should also not be confused with the removal of Indigenous and non-Indigenous children from dysfunctional families under welfare policies that continue to apply today.

How do we know these people's stories are true?

All State and Territory governments have acknowledged past practices and policies of forced removal of Indigenous children on the basis of race.

The report of the Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families, called the Bringing them Home report, contains extensive evidence of past practices and policies which resulted in the removal of children. It also details the conditions into which many of the children were placed and discussed the negative impact this has had on individuals, their families and the broader Indigenous community.

The Inquiry took evidence from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, government and church representatives, former mission staff, foster and adoptive parents, doctors and health professionals, academics, police and others. It received over 777 submissions, including 535 from Indigenous individuals and organisations, 49 from church organisations and 7 from governments.

Why is it important to apologise to the Stolen Generations?

The Bringing Them Home report found that the forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families and communities has had life-long and profoundly disabling consequences for those taken and has negatively affected the Indigenous community. For many of the children, removal meant that they lost all connection to family, traditional land, culture and language.

"It never goes away. Just 'cause we're not walking around on crutches or with bandages or plasters on our legs and arms, doesn't mean we're not hurting. Just 'cause you can't see it doesn't mean ... I suspect I'll carry these sorts of wounds 'til I the day I die. I'd just like it to be not quite as intense, that's all." - Confidential evidence 580, Queensland. Bringing Them Home Report

Many people affected by the tragedy of the Stolen Generations are still alive today and live with its effects.

The Bringing Them Home report recommended that the first step in healing is the acknowledgment of truth and the delivery of an apology. It was the responsibility of the Australian Government, on behalf of previous Australian governments that administered this wrongful policy to acknowledge what was done and apologise for it.

Why should Australians today apologise for something we aren't responsible for?

Individual Australians did not provide the apology. The apology was provided by the Australian Government in recognition of policies of past governments. Similarly, the former Australian Government apologised to Vietnam veterans for the policies of previous governments. The Rudd Government apologised for wrongful policies of governments. No individual Australian has been asked to take personal responsibility for actions of past governments.

What does an apology mean to me as a non-Indigenous Australian?

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 Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

In this way, the apology will allow us to work together more effectively towards closing the 17-year life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children - the starkest evidence of how government policies have failed.

It is an important starting point in healing the wounds and an historic step forward for our nation that we can be proud of.

The apology is not an expression of personal responsibility or guilt by individual Australians. But it does reflect our Australian values of compassion and a fair go, and allows the victims of bad policy to feel that their pain and suffering has been acknowledged.

Why should we apologise when many Aboriginal people are actually better off because they were removed from dysfunctional families?

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.

People involved in the removal of children genuinely believed they were doing the right thing. But as we now know, they were not.

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. As Brisbane's Telegraph newspaper reported in May 1937:

"Mr Neville [the Chief Protector of WA] holds the view that within one hundred years the pure black will be extinct. But the half-caste problem is increasing every year. Therefore their idea is to keep the pure blacks segregated and absorb the half-castes into the white population. Perhaps it will take one hundred years, perhaps longer, but the race is dying."

The suggestion that Stolen Generation children were better off is untrue on any reasonable assessment of the cases. People who were removed gave evidence to the Inquiry of their mistreatment under State care - this ranged from inadequate food and clothing, to physical, sexual and psychological abuse.

Almost a quarter of witnesses to the Inquiry who were fostered or adopted reported being physically abused. One in five reported being sexually abused. One in six children sent to institutions reported physical abuse and one in ten reported sexual abuse.

Will an apology lead to claims for compensation from members of the Stolen Generations?

The Bringing Them Home report recommended the establishment of a national compensation fund for people affected by the forcible removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The aim of the fund would be to offer reparation to those affected and avoid the courts having to deal with costly individual litigation.

An official apology is not directly related to compensation. All State and Territory governments have apologised and this has not triggered any rush of compensation claims.

The Tasmanian Government has chosen to set up a compensation fund for members of the stolen generations in that State while the Government of South Australia is also considering a similar move.

Queensland and New South Wales have ruled out stolen generations compensation funds, although both States are providing reparations for policies under which Aboriginal people could be put to work but not paid.

The West Australian Government announced in late 2007 the 'Redress WA' program to provide monetary and emotional support to those who were abused as children in State care, including members of the Stolen Generations.

The Australia Government has said it will not establish a fund at the national level but will direct funds to counselling services for members of the Stolen Generations and services that help people who were removed as children to find their families and communities.

Why is the word 'sorry' important as part of the apology?

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.

Why didn't the former Australian Government say sorry?

In 1997, the recommendation of the Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families for an official apology was not taken up by the new Australian Government led by John Howard. Mr Howard argued that it was not appropriate for the current Government to apologise for the actions of past governments. He also said he was concerned that a formal admission of wrongdoing would lead to compensation litigation.

In 1999, the Australian Government moved a motion for reconciliation with an expression of:

"deep and sincere regret that Indigenous Australians suffered injustices under the practices of past generations, and for the hurt and trauma that many Indigenous people continue to feel as a consequence of those practices."

Will the apology mean that reconciliation has been achieved?

An apology from the Australian Government to the Stolen Generations is one important step in achieving the overarching objective of reconciliation.

Closing the 17-year life expectancy gap involves consistent, long term action by governments, and by all Australians, in health, education, housing, employment etc and also helps in building respectful relationships that generate better outcomes for us all.

Aboriginal academic Marcia Langton suggests that a formal apology will achieve two things: firstly it will aid in the restoration of a sense of dignity and legitimacy to those who have suffered, and secondly it will acknowledge the serious harm done by previous governments to a class of people on the grounds of their race.

Isn't the apology useless symbolism when the Government would be better concentrating on the protection of Indigenous children?

If Australia is serious about making a long-term commitment to improving the life opportunities of Indigenous children, both of these approaches are essential ingredients - it can't be one or the other. In all walks of life, from business to sport, we know that relationships and respect are key ingredients of success.

From the PSA Aboriginal Liaison Officer, Mal Cochrane:

"Wednesday 13 February 2008 will be remembered as an historic moment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Australia."

"Kevin Rudd is the first Prime Minister of Australia to have the courage to say 'sorry' to the Stolen Generation, a promise he made during the election campaign."

"Saying 'sorry' validates the occurrence of the Stolen Generation and proves that it isn't a myth, which is an important first step towards healing."

"It also creates an opportunity for all Australians to move forward and focus on current issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people."

"I've heard a lot of comment around the apology and perhaps reading Reconciliation Australia's overview of the Stolen Generation may enlighten people and assist them to have a better understanding of what the apology is all about."