Yaama Ngindaay

National Sorry Day: 26 May

 The following information on National National Sorry Day is from Reconciliation Australia website.

Sorry Day (26 May) is a time to remember the past policies of forced child
removal, and reflect on the sad and painful stories of the Stolen Generations.
It is a time to recognise the resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples and the power of saying Sorry.

Did you know?

• The first Sorry Day was held on 26 May 1998—exactly one year after the
  Bringing Them Home Report was presented to the Parliament.
• The Bringing Them Home Report was the result of an inquiry into the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, and recommends both an apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and reparations.
• The term “Stolen Generations” refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
  Australians who were forcibly removed as children from their families by
  government, welfare, or church authorities, and placed into institutional care or with non-Indigenous foster families.
• The forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children began as early as the mid-1800s and continued until the 1970s.

In 2008, then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered the National Apology to the Stolen Generations in Parliament House. This was a significant event in the life of the country and an important step on the journey to reconciliation.

“We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on
these our fellow Australians...For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.”
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, 13 February 2008

The short 5 minute video below gives an excellent overview of the Apology and its significance. Well worth viewing.

National Reconciliation Week: 27 May to 3 June 

Information on National Reconciliation Week is from the Reconciliation Australia website.

What is National Reconciliation Week?

The dates for NRW remain the same each year: 27 May to 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey -the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.

Reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

We all have a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and in playing our part we collectively build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures, and futures.

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I found the last few words in the opening paragraph in the Sorry Day information above particularly thought-provoking and enlightening…. the power of saying Sorry.

We may think of saying sorry as being in some way a sign of weakness, but in fact it’s a sign of strength. I once heard Archbishop Desmond Tutu in South Africa say the same thing in relation to the beginning of the healing process in his home country after the dismantling of the policy of apartheid. Saying sorry can open the door to healing, restoring relationships and moving forward, positively, together.

Please join us to commemorate Reconciliation Week and to pray for us all on our reconciliation journey Monday 30 May at 9.00am in the hall

Yaluu ngali ngamilay

Phil Taylor

Aboriginal Education Teacher