The Trangie community will come together next week to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations, with dance performances from local school children and a free barbecue for the community.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Students at St John’s Catholic School and Trangie Central School have been creating their own choreography, with the assistance of Elder Uncle Ralph Naden, to tell the story of the National Apology and what it meant to members of the Stolen Generations.
They’ll perform their dance, with a story narration, at the Wungunja Cultural Centre on 26 February.
The event, organised by the Trangie Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC), will kick off at midday with members of the public invited to see a range exhibits and hear the stories of local Aboriginal people.
Trangie LALC chief executive Terrie Milgate said re-visiting the National Apology, made in Federal Parliament on February 13, 2008, was a way of remembering what happened to tens of thousands of children stolen from their families.
“It’s really important that we acknowledge their pain and suffering, caused by this tragic part of our history and how the ongoing trauma continues to impact on local communities today,” Mrs Milgate said.
“I think by celebrating the Apology, our youth learn to value the freedom, love and lifestyle they have, compared to the childhood experiences of their parents and grandparents.
“It reminds them to be proud of the strength and richness of local Aboriginal culture that has survived these brutal acts.”
The Trangie event is one of almost 90 supported by the Healing Foundation around the country this month to mark the Apology, celebrate Stolen Generations members, raise awareness of the importance of addressing intergenerational trauma.
“The Apology was incredibly significant because it acknowledged, for the first time, the pain and suffering inflicted on Stolen Generations members, their families and communities,” Healing Foundation CEO Richard Weston said. "It is important that we commemorate this significant anniversary as a nation and focus on what still needs to be done to address the impacts of unresolved trauma caused by the Stolen Generations policies.”
Information about the different community events taking place around the country can be found at healingfoundation.org.au/apology10-events/
The Healing Foundation partners with communities to address ongoing trauma caused by the disruption and mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over the past 230 years.
This includes actions like the forced removal of tens of thousands of children from their families, known as the Stolen Generations.