Stolen Generation

[HappyHammer]

About 10 years ago we visited the Apsley Gorge (Falls) near Walcha NSW. There was a huge information board erected telling of a massacre of aboriginals being herded over the cliffs. No such board exists today. No reference or information about this event is on websites. Brochures on the town do not mention any of this.
Seems like it might be embarrassment.

I have a vague recollection that the sign was removed due to locals agreeing to move on rather than cover up. I think it was having a negative impact on the perception of current residents of the town who had nothing to do with it.

HH.

[HappyHammer]

..... and why would you put it in town brochures even if it was well documented?

Got to agree there I wouldn't be promoting it if I lived there like I won't promote the fact that Lantana was first introduced in the town where I live....

HH.

[munruben]

I think we have to move on and not dwell on the past, bad things happened all over the world. White children were sent to Australia from orphanages in England. Some of these children were placed in the orphanages temporarily by their parents.
The government of the day decided to send these children over to Australia and these young children were placed in homes and properties throughout Australia and treated poorly and many abused by the so called religious do gooders. Parents back in the old country couldn't find out what happened to their kids.They were just sent out here regardless if they wanted to or not and many of these children never saw their parents again.
Of course we are sorry the lost generation ever happened and it shouldn't have happened but it did along with a lot of other atrocities in the world. But we don't live in that era now, we are in the 21st century. We cannot change what happened and we should not forget our past history but lets move on and strive to build a better world for all our children, black or white.

[billbeee]

Good on you John, I agree entirely.

What are we rabbiting on about the stolen generation for, again and again. The kids rightly or wrongly were removed from their parents for reasons that at the time seemed logical. It was felt that children of mixed race would be stigamatised and even abused (sound familiar) if left in their communities.

Put the thing in perspective. Tragic as it was for many individuals, get over it!

It happened just after the Holocaust. It preceded the killing fields in Cambodia.

Who's asking Al Kaida to say sorry? Move on, life's too short. Address the real issues.

Bill.

[corbs]

Hindsight is always 20/20, how much of what we are doing today will be regarded in a similar way in 50-100 years. We can learn from the past but we cannot change it.

Corbs

[Rossluck]

It's not a matter of blame or remcriminations or wandering around feeling bad about what our predecessors might have done. I for one like to think that I would have behaved differently, but I'm not sure ....

For me it's about history, and getting it right, and presenting the whole picture rather than an attenuated and glorified version. While we shouldn't go around wringing our hands in despair because we've discovered some skeletons in the closet, we also shouldn't plunge our heads into the sand and loudly deny that these things happened (like some of the contributors to this thread have done).

This is because the indigenous people in this nation need these things to be acknowldeged by the white population so that they can find some closure. Maybe then they can rediscover their rich culture and build some self esteem and so on.

[HappyHammer]

Ross,

I don't want to get into an argument, just clarify, are you suggesting an apology from the government will make any significant difference to the issues being reported at the moment in a few indigenous communities?

HH.

[silentC]

This is because the indigenous people in this nation need these things to be acknowledged by the white population so that they can find some closure.

I'm afraid I have a quite cynical view on that. I don't think that our "acknowledgement" would make any difference. I think that formal acknowledgement of a bad policy came about when it was revoked anyway.

Usually when we acknowledge these things, it opens an avenue for somebody to take advantage. An example of that is the acknowledgement of 'sacred sites'. We had a few discoveries made locally of middens and canoe trees, so the land was turned over to the local tribe, who almost broke their necks in the rush to get the real estate agents in. That's how much they needed closure - we acknowledge that it belongs to them because of their sacred attachment to the site and they promptly sell it.

I'm not knocking it, they're just working the system, who can blame them. I just keep that in mind when one of the local elders writes to the paper about how the whitey is stuffing up the area in pursuit of the mighty dollar. A bit of context is helpful.

As for whether kids should be taught about it, I don't see an issue with it, as long as the context is in terms of how Australia has since attempted to right the wrongs. Our past governments have done a lot of wrong, either in the mistaken belief that they were helping, or the even more mistaken belief that we had the right to do what we want to 'savages'.

I'm happy for my kids to know about it, so long as it's not from the point of view that we need to do anything about it. Feel sympathetic but not responsible.

[Rossluck]

Ross,

I don't want to get into an argument, just clarify, are you suggesting an apology from the government will make any significant difference to the issues being reported at the moment in a few indigenous communities?

HH.

I've always had doubts about the apology thing. I'm not sure that a "demanded" apology is really of much use to anyone.

The problem as I see it with the indigenous communities is a disconnection with their own rich culture, and similarly a lack of appreciation by whites in this country of how rich and complex a society and culture the indigenous people had before we arrived.

I think that the best way to resolve these issues is to teach our children (black and white) an accurate version of history, and an appreciation of the indigenous culture. I'm happy enough with the way Howard is handling the problems at the moment.

[Sturdee]

The problem as I see it with the indigenous communities is a disconnection with their own rich culture, and similarly a lack of appreciation by whites in this country of how rich and complex a society and culture the indigenous people had before we arrived.

I may be wrong but I doubt if the various indigenous tribes and peoples had a very rich culture before the British settled in this country. Note the term British and not "whites" for any blame what may have happened because of settlement belongs to the British not whites in general.

As far as I'm aware there was not one group of people but many different tribes, each having different customs, languages and practices. Although neighbouring groups had contacts with each other, the people from say Arnhem land and Tasmania would not be able to speak to each other and had different customs etc. Very similar to the various tribes in Africa.

The trouble we have now is that there are descendants of these indigenous people who have been working at the business of being "Aboriginal" because it is a gravy ride for many at the expense of our collective conscience.

Examples that come to mind are :

The Aboriginal flag, the concept of a flag was not known to aboriginals, now some local aboriginals are demanding that our Council flies this flag on all council buildings.

The so called sacred sites, their eating garbage dumps also called middens are now considered sacred and is supposed to give them rights over other people. No doubt in future our tips will become sacred sites as well.

Their so called sacred fires in the botanical gardens during the Commonwealth games, giving them an excuse to camp in the gardens.

The millions of dollars given to uneconomic projects just because it was approved by ATSIC.

The clamour by them, for them not to be subject to the same laws and punishment as other citizens.

No doubt there are many more if we think about it, so their claim to need our "Sorry" statement for them to have closure is IMO utter rubbish.

Let them get over it and start living like all other citizens in this country and work for the good of themselves and our commonwealth.


Peter.

[Gra]

I may be wrong but I doubt if the various indigenous tribes and peoples had a very rich culture before the British settled in this country. Note the term British and not "whites" for any blame what may have happened because of settlement belongs to the British not whites in general.

Oy, Peter, not all of hte British had a choice..... Some of my rellos certainly didnt

[Sturdee]

Oy, Peter, not all of hte British had a choice..... Some of my rellos certainly didnt

I stand corrected, its the responsibility of the United Kingdom government, as the settlements were their colonies, even though some settlers came against their will.


Peter.

[Lignum]

Their so called sacred fires in the botanical gardens during the Commonwealth games, giving them an excuse to camp in the gardens.

And the same city council who paid out tens of thousands of dollars to move them on and clean up after them, have just given the same group $10.000 to stage a photo exhibition of that illegal event

[Edit - I just heard before it was over $300.000 to move them on, then give them back the $10.000]

[Groggy]

And the same city council who paid out tens of thousands of dollars to move them on and clean up after them, have just given the same group $10.000 to stage a photo exhibition of that illegal event

That's $10 innit? (please say yes)

[Lignum]

And here in Mordi the State Gov is widening the bridge over the Mordi creek. It cuts through 2 sq mt of "sacred site" on the side of the creek. That is to add an estimated 3 months and $500.000 to the project.