The Stolen Generation

What do we know about Bimbadeen?

Cootamundra Aboriginal Girls Training Home

The Stolen Generations: The Facts

Removal of children was official government policy from 1909 to 1969.

It was managed by the Aborigines Protection Board (APB). They placed children in government institutions and missions

The APB had the power to remove the children without parental consent, and without a court order. The labelled the children ‘destitute’ and ‘neglected’. This made it easy to remove them from their families for their ‘moral’ and ‘spiritual’ welfare.

They were not allowed to speak their Aboriginal language or have contact with full-blooded relatives.

Those ‘not of full blood’ were expected to assimilate into the broader society under the White Australia Policy.

The education in missions: bible stories, sewing & cleaning for girls, and stockwork & gardening for boys

Once girls turned 14 they were expected to find employment with white families as domestics

By the 1980’s, 100,000+ children had been removed.

Q and A

Explore what you already know about the removal of Indigenous children from their families.

1.Make a list of things you know about the history of removal of Indigenous children from their families

2.What information do you know about the removal of Indigenous children in the area you live in?

3.How did the Government of the time justify the removal of Indigenous children?

What did people know at the time?

Rabbit Proof Fence

Took The Children AwayArchie Roach (Mushroom Records 1990) This story's right, this story's true

I would not tell lies to youLike the promises they did not keepAnd how they fenced us in like sheep.Said to us come take our handSent us off to mission land.Taught us to read, to write and prayThen they took the children away, Took the children away,The children away.Snatched from their mother's breastSaid this is for the bestTook them away.

The welfare and the policemanSaid you've got to understandWe'll give them what you can't giveTeach them how to really live.Teach them how to live they saidHumiliated them insteadTaught them that and taught them thisAnd others taught them prejudice.You took the children awayThe children awayBreaking their mothers heartTearing us all apartTook them away

One sweet day all the children came backThe children come backThe children come backBack where their hearts grow strongBack where they all belongThe children came backSaid the children come backThe children come backBack where they understandBack to their mother's landThe children come back

Back to their motherBack to their fatherBack to their sisterBack to their brotherBack to their peopleBack to their landAll the children come backThe children come backThe children come backYes I came back.

One dark day on FraminghamCome and didn't give a damnMy mother cried go get their dadHe came running, fighting madMother's tears were falling downDad shaped up and stood his ground.He said 'You touch my kids and you fight me'And they took us from our family.Took us awayThey took us awaySnatched from our mother's breastSaid this was for the bestTook us away.

Told us what to do and sayTold us all the white man's waysThen they split us up againAnd gave us gifts to ease the painSent us off to foster homesAs we grew up we felt aloneCause we were acting whiteYet feeling black

What does this song tell you about the Stolen Generation?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aywDT6yHMmov

A Policy of Assimilation

Post WWII Populate or Perish!

Rabbit Proof Fence

ImpactCommunity, Family, Culture

The Statistics…

38% of Indigenous people were forcibly removed themselves and/or had relatives who, as a child, had been forcibly or otherwise removed from their natural family.

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey 2002

Removal

Age

Over 50% of respondents who gave evidence to the Bringing them home

Inquiry were five years or younger when they were removed from their families.

Bringing them home report, page 182

Next Generation

The children of members of the ‘Stolen Generations’ are twice as likely to have emotional and behavioural problems, to be at high risk for hyperactivity, emotional and conduct disorders, and twice as likely to abuse alcohol and drugs.

Western Australian Aboriginal Child Health Survey 2001–02

Health

Indigenous people in Australia are almost one and a half times more likely to have a disability or long-term health condition than non-Indigenous people.

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey, 2002

Racism

21.5% of Indigenous children under 12 experienced racism in the previous six months.

Western Australian Aboriginal Child Health Survey 2001–02

Q and A1. What do these statistics suggest were the effects of the

removal of Indigenous children from their families?

2. What conclusions can we draw from these statements/statistics?

3. What other information would be useful to assess the impact of the policies of removal of Indigenous children from their families?

4. What problems might arise in collecting that information?

Yothu Yindi Treaty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7cbkxn4G8U

TimelineYear Event

1788-mid 1800s

Early removals through church-run missions

1837 British Select Committee recommends the appointment of ‘Protectors of Aborigines’ in Australia

1869-1935 Indigenous child removal legislation is put in place in all states and territories. The ‘Protectors’ now have the power to remove children.At first, the removals were part of protection and segregation policies, as it was believed that the Indigenous children were part of a dying race.Later, it was believed that the Indigenous children would assimilate and be ‘absorbed’ into the non-Indigenous population.

1937 Assimilation is adopted as the official national Indigenous affairs policy

1969 Indigenous child removal legislation is removed

Timeline cont.

Source: http://www.reconciliation.org.au/

Year Event

1980 The first Link-Up Aboriginal Corporation is established.

1991 The Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody finds 43 of 99 deaths investigated were of people separated from their families as children.

1994 Going Home conference – 600 members of the Stolen Generations

1997 The Bringing Them Home report is released.

2000 Over 250,000 people participate in the “Sorry” walk across the Harbour Bridge on May 28th.

2001 The Moving Forward conference is held – exploring ways of making amends with the Stolen Generations.

2004 Stolen Generations memorial at Reconciliation Place in Canberra is unveiled461 Sorry Books are entered on the Australian Memory of the World Register

2008 23th February the Prime Minister moved the apology.

The Apology

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3TZOGpG6cM