The Aboriginal Flag
The Australian Flag
Today, the prime minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, fulfilled an election promise and made a formal apology in Federal Parliament to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders of the Stolen Generations. The Stolen Generations refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who were removed, under government authority, from their families by Australian government agencies and church missions between approximately 1869 and 1969.
In 1997, the report of an offical inquiry into the Stolen Generations recommended that a national apology be made. However, John Howard, who was Prime Minister when the report was issued, never apologized, and he was defeated by Kevin Rudd this past November.
People all over the country gathered to watch the live broadcast. It was a profoundly moving experience and, certainly, long overdue. The girls' school had a presentation at their morning assembly, and the Aboriginal and Australian flags are hung in the main assembly area for the rest of the week. If you are interested in hearing Kevin Rudd's apology, follow this link: http://www.smh.com.au/multimedia/2008/national/australia-says-sorry/main.html?s_cid=rss_national
The movie Rabbit-Proof Fence, which won worldwide acclaim in 2002, tells a gripping tale based on a true story of three children who ran away from a government settlement to return to their Aboriginal families. We highly recommend it if you are interested in learning more about the Stolen Generations.
Anne
