The Protectionist era was a painful time for First Nations people – but artists are recreating clothing from this time as a powerful method of healing,
Indigenous people have long spoken about coercive practices of officials and experts around birth control, as late as the 1960s. Now historians are finding evidence in the government’s own records.
Melissa Lucashenko’s latest novel is an epic, affirming pathways for Indigenous futures – and she gifts us with characters impossible not to invest in.
Dorothy Cottrell pictured in the Saturday Evening Post, 10 June 1950.
Trove
Was international bestselling author Dorothy Cottrell too female, too popular, too ‘unAustralian’ and perhaps, too disabled, for the local literary establishment?
Invasion Day Reflection and smoking ceremony on parliament steps, Melbourne.
Wikimedia Commons
Truth-telling between First Nations and non-Indigenous people is a vital step in recognising past colonial wrongdoing. And research has found it is also a step towards self-determination and healing.
Brenda Matthews’ story is a truth-seeking quest to right the wrongs perpetrated by a government hell-bent on doing ‘as they saw fit’ when it came to Aboriginal peoples, writes Sandra Phillips.
First Nations women and their newborns are considered high risk due to fatality rates and access to care. Research shows First Nations-led culturally safe healthcare could prevent further deaths.
Our analysis revealed the relative attention our news and opinion pieces gave to First Nations peoples began to grow steadily from around 2005, with a huge peak in 2007.
A young child lights a candle to commemorate the Stolen Generations.
Paul Miller/AAP Image
Formal hearings of the Yoorrook Justice Commission have begun in Melbourne. This is the first Indigenous-led justice commission of this kind in the world.
Scott Morrison’s comments on the 14th anniversary of the Stolen Generations’ Apology show a lack of understanding of what is really needed to ensure healing for First Nations peoples.
As we edge closer to another anniversary of Kevin Rudd’s National Apology to the Stolen Generations, the number of First Nations children in out-of-home has increased.
Children display banners at the Redfern Community Centre after watching the live telecast of the formal Apology to the Stolen Generations.
Wikimedia
Recently, the Commonwealth government created a redress scheme to compensate Stolen Generations survivors. But more needs to be done to address the trauma.
Lockdowns meant First Nations people were disconnected from family for Sorry Business and attending community gatherings.
Darren England/AAP
Steve Larkin, Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
In a survey of Stolen Generation survivors, two-thirds reported a decline in their physical health as a result of COVID restrictions, while 75% reported a decline in their mental health and wellbeing.
Big Elders meetings are conducted annually in Perth as part of community consultation and governance for the Ngulluk Koolunga Ngulluk Koort (Our Children Our Heart) project.
Provided by author
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are increasingly being removed from their families and placed into out-of-home care, raising concerns of another Stolen Generation.
Signatures developed to replace rituals as a form of legal validation. Indigenous people have seen their marks used against them and rallied communities to use signatures in innovative protests.
State archives hold precious Noongar letters pleading for the return of Stolen Generations children. Among them, I find my grandmother’s grandfather: historical records of love.
Honorary (Senior Fellow) School of Culture and Communication University of Melbourne. Editor in Chief, Design and Art of Australia Online, The University of Melbourne