Child, Families and Communities

Reconciliation is a long and many layered process, its meaning complex and multi - faceted. Reconciliation means knowing this country’s history and acknowledging the bad as well as the good. It means understanding and embracing difference, of language, of culture, of Law. Reconciliation is about ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have their rights as the first peoples of this nation properly recognised and that recognition of those rights ensures them the same life chances as other A ustralians. Reconciliation is about acknowledging the wrongs of the past and pledging as a nation to right them. (Former chair of NSW State Reconciliation Committee, Linda Burney, 1999) Reconciliation therefore acknowledges Australia’s Indigenous history, and moving forward together with a commitment to social justice, and building relationships based on mutual understanding, respect and trust. Social justice for Indigenous Australians includes recognition of the distinct rights of Indigenous Australians as the first people, the right to self -determination, acknowledgments for past injustices, elimination of racism and discrimination, and closing the gaps in health, social and economic outcomes between Indigenous and non -Indigenous Australians. 'Achieving re conciliation involves raising awareness and knowledge of Indigenous history and culture, changing attitudes that are often based on myths and misunderstandings, and encouraging action where everyone plays their part in building a better relationship betwee n us as fellow Australians' (Muir, 2011, p. 1). An apology to the Stolen Generations The Bringing Them Home report (1997) found that the forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families and communities has had life -long and profoundly disabling consequences for those taken, while negatively affecting the entire Indigenous community. For many of the children, removal meant that they lost all connection to family, traditional land, culture and language. The Bringing Them Ho me report recommended that the first step in healing is the acknowledgment of truth and the delivery of an apology. It is the responsibility of the Australian Government, on behalf of previous Australian governments that administered this wrongful policy, to acknowledge what was done and apologise for it. This issue is a ‘blank spot’ in the history of Australia. The damage and trauma these policies caused are felt everyday by Aboriginal people. They internalise their grief, guilt and confusion, inflicting f urther pain on themselves and others around them. It is about time the Australian Government openly accepted responsibility for their actions and compensate those affected. (Roach and Hunter, as cited in Buti, 2004) What does an apology mean? Apology to A ustralia's Indigenous peoples (2008) On 11th of December 2007, Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, announced that an apology would be made to Indigenous Australians, the wording of which would be decided in consultation with Aboriginal le aders. To watch the apology as it was delivered on January 2008 you can view the following video Sorry, Kevin Rudd's Apology t o 'The stolen Generation (Links to an external site.) ' (Channel Ten, 2008).