Ninth Anniversary of Apology to Stolen Generations

Good to see that on the ninth anniversary of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations, the Queensland government chose to reaffirm their commitment to supporting family and personal history research. Twenty years on from the Bringing them Home Report, access to records has improved to be ‘easier and less harmful’. But also a reminder that more needs to be done, with Victoria in particular yet to implement a redress scheme and address the inter-generational ramifications of denial of connection to family, community and country.

Calls also to ensure that there is not another stolen generation of Aboriginal children, given the stats that around a third are not being placed according to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle. Can better recordkeeping systems play a role in improving this situation? How can these systems support the maintenance of connections to family, community and culture while at the same time keeping a child safe?

It’s not just the records, but the layers of storytelling that goes with them. And it’s about ensuring that records are there when needed to aid in quality decision making.