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Articles on Stolen Generation

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Family photo in the Borden reserve, published with the family’s permission. Alison Lullfitz

‘We can write novels of memories made here’: Elder-led land restoration is about rebuilding love

For descendants of those stolen, restoring a special family place enables them to reconnect to the past, to people and identity.
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First Nations children are still being removed at disproportionate rates. Cultural assumptions about parenting need to change

Child protection notification processes in Australia have a history of disproportionately targeting First Nations families.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt arrive ahead of delivering the statement on the Closing the Gap Implementation Report. Lukas Koch/AAP

The government’s Stolen Generations redress scheme is piecemeal and unrealistic

The government recently announced a new reparations scheme for Stolen Generations survivors. However, these survivors are only a fraction of the Indigenous children separated from their families.
Shoes and toys line the steps of a building in Edmonton in honour of and mourning for the Indigenous children found in unmarked graves in Canada. The Canadian Press/Jason Franson

The discovery of Indigenous children’s bodies in Canada is horrific, but Australia has similar tragedies it’s yet to reckon with

The recent discovery of the bodies of Indigenous children being found in Canada reminds us of the dark history of Australia’s treatment of young First Peoples and children here in Australia.
This child and her mother found refuge at a women’s shelter, but many are unable to find the secure housing they need to escape family violence. Dan Peled/AAP

Another stolen generation looms unless Indigenous women fleeing violence can find safe housing

Indigenous children are admitted to out-of-home care at 11 times the rate for non-Indigenous children. The lack of safe housing for mothers fleeing family violence is a key factor.
Aboriginal elder Max Eulo holds a baby in front of a sea of 70,000 multi-coloured paper hands at the Sydney Opera House in December 2000. David Gray/Reuters

Friday essay: reflections on the idea of a common humanity

Racism is again on the rise in many parts of the world. So is the dehumanisation of our enemies. What hope is there, then, for notions of a common humanity?
In some parts of Australia, cattle properties have been hand over to the traditional owners, but for others the return of their land seems further away than ever. AAP/Jordan Baker

Kidman’s sale marks second wave of South Australian colonisation

The company built by ‘Cattle King’ Sidney Kidman is for sale. He enjoyed good relations with the Indigenous inhabitants, but proper recognition of their rights to their land seems ever more elusive.
South Australians turned out in numbers to hear the 2008 apology to the Stolen Generations, but a bill before the state parliament fails to live up to the promise of that day. Wikimedia Commons/edna-photos

Australian states can do better for the Stolen Generations

A bill before South Australian parliament would make it the second Australian state to compensate Stolen Generation survivors and their children. Tangible recognition of their suffering is overdue, but…
Social workers can successfully work with most families that find themselves in trouble without taking their children away. Nadezhda1906/Flickr

Child protection: how to keep vulnerable kids with their families

After a long period of expansion in the number of children living in out-of-home care, most modern child protection systems around the world have been labouring to prevent such placements. Instead, they’re…
Many Indigenous families fear the welfare system. AAP Image/Neda Vanovac

Empowering Indigenous communities to prevent child abuse and neglect

In some jurisdictions of Australia, the rate of Indigenous children in foster, kinship and residential care on any one night has reached almost one in ten. This rate is almost ten times higher than non-Aboriginal…
People who have been in care are more likely to have children at an early age and are at greater risk of having their own child taken into care. Mika Heittola/Shutterstock

We remove kids from abuse and neglect, but are they better off in the long run?

Most people reasonably assume there is evidence of good long-term outcomes for children who come into contact with child protection systems. Why else would we intervene in the lives of children and their…
The Stolen Generation apology represented a highwater mark for Indigenous policy, but silence has settled on this policy area. AAP

After a decade of new dawns, Indigenous policy vision burns out

Five years ago, prime minister Kevin Rudd took to the nation’s driving seat with the historic Stolen Generation apology. With the theme of this year’s NAIDOC (National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance…

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