In a landmark speech, Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologised to the Stolen Generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities for the injustices of past governments in removing Indigenous children from their parents. It was a grand gesture from Mr. Rudd in righting a wrong that past governments have been reluctant to correct. It was also a moment that healed many wounds, wounds that are still fresh in the memories of many.
The Indigenous community has always been a neglected and mistreated community. Ever since the White Settlers arrived in 1788 and "settled" on a land that was already settled, they have experienced injustice in its utmost form. Their lands were removed from them and when that proved insufficient, so were their children in an attempt to assimilate a whole culture. Since then the Indigenous community has been placed at the bottom of society's rung, whereby overwhelmingly high rates of incarceration, alcohol abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse, unemployment and high mortality rates are the norm.
Despite such blatant injustices there has been little recognition of the plight of the Indigenous people. There has been condemnation from the people of Australia itself through events such as the Walk of Reconciliation and the famous Redfern speech by then Prime Minister Paul Keating. However, this is a country whereby injustice is itself embedded in the Law itself.
A blatant example would be in the area of land rights. Australian property law states that all land is Crown land. Such land is deemed to have been settled when the First Settlers arrived, meaning that there were no inhabitants when they first set foot. However, given that the Indigenous people were already living here, the more appropriate truth that Australia was a conquered land is therefore warranted.
Without any compensation let alone acknowledgement for taking land from its Indigenous owners, Australia has simply written its laws in a manner that simply shuns the existence of the Indigenous people. Since then landmark decisions such as Mabo have been passed down although that has failed to trigger a flood gate of appeals in regards to land rights.
In regards to criminal law, it is well documented that the Indigenous people continue to face injustices of the harshest conditions. Deaths in custody still occur and incarceration rates remain at a level clearly above that of any other race. All of this is linked to the rampant alcohol abuse faced by the Indigenous communities ranging from suburban Redfern to the rural towns of Northern Queensland.
Yet injustices of the entire Indigenous people aside, let us just focus on the apology to the Stolen Generation. The term Stolen Generation itself draws up vivid imagery of an entire generation taken forcibly from families. Parents never to see their children again, children growing up in a culture previously unknown to them and all this without the core of what democracy itself stands for: Choice. To even attempt to understand the tip of such an event is probably beyond the comprehension of most non-Indigenous people. Just imagine being removed from the care of one’s parents simply because you did not fit in with society's norms.
Not only was it long overdue for Mr. Rudd to stand up in Parliament and acknowledge the injustices of past governments for their wrongdoing in displacing an entire race but it was an action commendable on so many levels.
However, landmark as Mr. Rudd's speech was, the track record of this Nation in helping the Indigenous people is nothing short of unimpressive and as such leaves must scepticism as to what the Government will actually do to alleviate the various levels of oppression still being faced by the Indigenous people.
Yet hopefully through Mr. Rudd's speech, seeds can be sown that will bear significant changes. Hopefully Mr. Nelson will accept Mr. Rudd's proposal to combine arms in forming a War Cabinet to tackle this issue and look past the reluctance of his predecessor Mr. Howard, who was absent from Sorry Day, instead choosing to hold on to his staunch views that one should not apologise for another's mistake.
Sorry Day was a turning point in the history of this nation. Let that day mark the beginning whereby the Nation's leaders utilised the very power entrusted to them to provide a long overdue empowerment of the Indigenous people who after experiencing generations of mistreatment can finally look towards a better future.
The Indigenous community has always been a neglected and mistreated community. Ever since the White Settlers arrived in 1788 and "settled" on a land that was already settled, they have experienced injustice in its utmost form. Their lands were removed from them and when that proved insufficient, so were their children in an attempt to assimilate a whole culture. Since then the Indigenous community has been placed at the bottom of society's rung, whereby overwhelmingly high rates of incarceration, alcohol abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse, unemployment and high mortality rates are the norm.
Despite such blatant injustices there has been little recognition of the plight of the Indigenous people. There has been condemnation from the people of Australia itself through events such as the Walk of Reconciliation and the famous Redfern speech by then Prime Minister Paul Keating. However, this is a country whereby injustice is itself embedded in the Law itself.
A blatant example would be in the area of land rights. Australian property law states that all land is Crown land. Such land is deemed to have been settled when the First Settlers arrived, meaning that there were no inhabitants when they first set foot. However, given that the Indigenous people were already living here, the more appropriate truth that Australia was a conquered land is therefore warranted.
Without any compensation let alone acknowledgement for taking land from its Indigenous owners, Australia has simply written its laws in a manner that simply shuns the existence of the Indigenous people. Since then landmark decisions such as Mabo have been passed down although that has failed to trigger a flood gate of appeals in regards to land rights.
In regards to criminal law, it is well documented that the Indigenous people continue to face injustices of the harshest conditions. Deaths in custody still occur and incarceration rates remain at a level clearly above that of any other race. All of this is linked to the rampant alcohol abuse faced by the Indigenous communities ranging from suburban Redfern to the rural towns of Northern Queensland.
Yet injustices of the entire Indigenous people aside, let us just focus on the apology to the Stolen Generation. The term Stolen Generation itself draws up vivid imagery of an entire generation taken forcibly from families. Parents never to see their children again, children growing up in a culture previously unknown to them and all this without the core of what democracy itself stands for: Choice. To even attempt to understand the tip of such an event is probably beyond the comprehension of most non-Indigenous people. Just imagine being removed from the care of one’s parents simply because you did not fit in with society's norms.
Not only was it long overdue for Mr. Rudd to stand up in Parliament and acknowledge the injustices of past governments for their wrongdoing in displacing an entire race but it was an action commendable on so many levels.
However, landmark as Mr. Rudd's speech was, the track record of this Nation in helping the Indigenous people is nothing short of unimpressive and as such leaves must scepticism as to what the Government will actually do to alleviate the various levels of oppression still being faced by the Indigenous people.
Yet hopefully through Mr. Rudd's speech, seeds can be sown that will bear significant changes. Hopefully Mr. Nelson will accept Mr. Rudd's proposal to combine arms in forming a War Cabinet to tackle this issue and look past the reluctance of his predecessor Mr. Howard, who was absent from Sorry Day, instead choosing to hold on to his staunch views that one should not apologise for another's mistake.
Sorry Day was a turning point in the history of this nation. Let that day mark the beginning whereby the Nation's leaders utilised the very power entrusted to them to provide a long overdue empowerment of the Indigenous people who after experiencing generations of mistreatment can finally look towards a better future.
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