Historians argue whether the intention of the protectionist policies that allowed Aboriginal children to be removed was done with the purpose of killing off all Aborigines (Read 1981) as a group of people, seen of little value by the “white colonists” or whether it was indeed done for the protection and betterment of the children(Windschuttle, Why There Were No Stolen Generations 2010). Whatever the intention the systematic removal of the children from the late 1800’s till 1972 undermined the whole Aboriginal community, Marjorie Woodrow, who over 60 years ago was removed from her family says, “Little did they know they ripped our souls to pieces” (Woodrow 2001). As Australians read through the testimonies of the “Stolen Generations” we begin to have a sense of how the forced removal of Aboriginal children impacted on and continues to on Aboriginal families and communities today. Peter Read brought the past history of Aboriginal children, who had been removed from their families, to the attention of many in 1980 in an essay “The Stolen Generations”. Until Read’s essay was published Aboriginal people rarely mentioned the “stolen generations” and the events were mostly unknown by white Australians. (Read 1981, 2). As Aboriginals began to tell their stories of separation, it was noted that there were significant issues for those who had been effected by the removals ad this led to the National enquiry by the Human rights and Equals Opportunities Commission 1997. (Commission, Human Rights and Equal Opportunities 1997). Australians were astounded at the narratives that came from the report, they were hearing a history of Australia’s past they hardly recognized and were shocked at the then Governments “cold hearted” response. (Bond 200... ... middle of paper ... ...particularly through the 30’s as the depression was a hard time for everyone let alone Aboriginals who were confined to missions and unable to find work or return to past ways to support their families (Flood 2006, 227). However the policies of the time were racist and, according to Van Krieken (1999, 306), were “more deeply rooted in European social, political and legal thought”. The idea of treating Aborigines as equals while they continued to live in ways that were foreign to the colonists was one of repugnance even in the 50’s. Paul Hasluck when addressing the House of Representatives in 1955 said “ So long as Natives are not living in away that makes them acceptable – to put it crudely, so long as natives live in a way that makes them smell – then there is no hope for them . We have to improve their hygiene to make them acceptable.” (Van Krieken 999, 306).
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
Both Keating’s and Rudd’s speeches are firmly based on the ideas of recognition and reconciliation for the wrongs that European settlers, and their decedents, have inflicted on Indigenous Australians. To explore this idea I believe that it is necessary to take a closer look at both the plight of Eddie Mabo and the stories of the Stolen Generation.
Parbury (1999:64) states that Aboriginal education “cannot be separated” from the non-Aboriginal attitudes (racially based ethnocentricity that were especially British ie. white and Christian) towards Aborigines, their culture and their very existence. The Mission Schools are an early example of the connection between official education policies and key events in Aboriginal history. Aboriginal children were separated from their parents and placed into these schools which according to McGrath (as cited by Parbury, 1999:66) it was recommended that these establishments be located ‘as far as possible’ from non Aboriginal residents so as to minimize any heathen influence that Aboriginal children might be subject to from their parents. Mission Schools not only prepared Aboriginal youth for the manual labour market but also, adds Parbury (1999:67) their aim was‘to destroy Aboriginal culture and replace it with an Anglo-European work and faith ethic.’ Despite the NSW Public Instruction Act (1880) which made education free, secular and compulsory for all children Aboriginal children could be excluded from public schools based on prevailing dominant group attitudes. Consequently, the NSW Aborigines Protection Act (1909) was introduced as a result of a perceived public education crisis and Laws had already been passed, similar to protectionist type policies. This Act gave the State the power to remove Aboriginal children from their families whereby this period of time has become known as ‘Stolen Generations.’ It was during this time that Aboriginal children were segregated from mainstream schools. (Parbury, 1999; Lippman, 1994).
Indigenous People. In evaluating the Legal System’s response to Indigenous People and it’s achieving of justice, an outline of the history of Indigenous Australians - before and during settlement - as well as their status in Australian society today must be made. The dispossession of their land and culture has deprived Indigenous People of economic revenue that the land would have provided if not colonised, as well as their ... ... middle of paper ... ...
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 HREOC’s began a process called the Bringing Them Home report to help Indigenous families and victims of the Stolen Generation reconnect and to bring focus to the discrimination and illegality of stealing a child away from their family. The report suggested that the authorities should apologise for what they’ve done to the Indigenous people, help them reunite with their family, publically
The traumatic experiences of the stolen generation have demonstrated that the removal of Indigenous children from their families has caused ongoing psychological suffering. McGlade, Hannah, Our Greatest Challenge (Aboriginal Studies Press, 2012) provides a theoretical and practical perspective on the issues and concerns of Aboriginal Child abuse. The author considers her very own encounters from child abuse and claims that the criminal justice system is racist and paternalistic. In support of her claims, she delivers a deep analysis of the legal systems response to sexual assault, claiming that Indigenous Aboriginal women were excluded from society during the time of white politics, control, and violence. McGlade supports her arguments through
In the acclaimed novel, The Choice: A Fable of Free Trade and Protectionism, author Russell Roberts, an economist and writer, tells a fictional story that enlightens readers to the wonders of the economic system. Russell provides an insightful, thought provoking story that illustrates protectionism and free trade, while making the concepts and arguments easy to comprehend.
The Stolen Generation has left devastating impacts upon the Aboriginal culture and heritage, Australian history and the presence of equality experienced today. The ‘Stolen Generation’ refers to the children of Aboriginal descent being forcefully abducted by government officials of Australia and placed within institutions and catholic orphanages, being forced to assimilate into ‘white society’. These dehumanising acts placed these stolen children to experience desecration of culture, loss of identity and the extinction of their race. The destructive consequences that followed were effects of corruption including attempted suicide, depression and drug and alcohol abuse. The indigenous peoples affected by this have endured solitude for many years, this has only been expressed to the public recently and a proper apology has been issued, for the years of ignorance to the implementation of destruction of culture. The Stolen Generation has dramatically shaped Australian history and culture.
The assimilation policy was a policy that existed between the 1940’s and the 1970’s, and replaced that of protectionism. Its purpose was to have all persons of aboriginal blood and mixed blood living like ‘white’ Australians, this established practice of removing Aboriginal children (generally half-bloods) from their homes was to bring them up without their culture, and they were encouraged to forget their aboriginal heritage. Children were placed in institutions where they could be 'trained' to take their place in white society. During the time of assimilation Aboriginal people were to be educated for full citizenship, and have access to public education, housing and services. However, most commonly aboriginal people did not receive equal rights and opportunities, for example, their wages were usually less than that paid to the white workers and they often did not receive recognition for the roles they played in the defence of Australia and their contribution to the cattle industry. It wasn’t until the early 1960’s that expendi...
Assimilation caused a drastic change to aboriginal lives. In the beginning half of the twentieth century, up until the 1960’s, the Government of Australia wanted to create a single, white Australian culture. They sought to do this through assimilation policies, which had disturbing effects on the Indigenous communities. This essay examines the policies of Aboriginal assimilation between 1930 and 1960, and highlights the changes that these policies had on Aboriginal lives. These policies were supported by racist conventions and settler nationalist laws. One of the constant motivations for assimilation back in the first half of the twentieth century came from the nationalist message of white Australia. The way this essay will tackle this question
Since European invasion in 1788, Indigenous Australians have struggled to maintain their rights and freedoms and to have governments recognise them. Over time, state and Commonwealth governments have implemented policies that have discriminated against Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, denying them equality, opportunity and control of their own lives and those of their children (Jacaranda, 2012). Indigenous Australians have been politically active in demanding their rights. Charles Perkins was an Aboriginal Activist who fought in the struggle for recognition, justice and legal acknowledgments for Indigenous people. To a large extent Charles Perkins has impacted the civil rights of Indigenous Australians; significantly advancing human rights and paving the way for reconciliation.
Between 1910 and 1970, in Australia, aboriginal children were forcibly taken from their families, under false claims. These children were adopted by white households, many of which were emotionally, physically, or sexually abusive. And, in an attempt to rid Australia of aboriginal people and culture, the children were not allowed to partake in any behaviors associated with being aboriginal. Australian aboriginals weren’t the only group negatively affected by interracial adoption. Prior to 1978, 35% of Native American children were illegally removed from their homes. These examples show that interracial racism can be
The government and non-indigenous Australians are yet to fully appreciate Aboriginal cultures and respect their rights. In the letter "If Only" by Maureen Brannan (source 1) it is outlined the problems Aboriginals
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