The Birth Of The Stolen Generation

The Birth Of The Stolen Generation
The Stolen Generation was a period in which the Australian Government forcibly removed Aboriginal children from their homes. Children were then
placed into institutions in a bid to completely rid of Indigenous Australians – this was a complete abandonment of their basic civil rights. The events
that led to and occurred during this time period, affected children, families and their communities then, now and undoubtedly into the future.
Although sometimes thought otherwise, the Stolen Generations actually lasted for many decades, hence the plural, Generations. It is estimated that
Indigenous Australian and half–caste children were taken from their families from as early as the late 1800s right up to as late as the 1970s. The
children were removed with force with no consent from their families by the Australian federal and State and Territory Governments. Some even being
removed by church missions and agencies. The children were then sent either to institutions or were adopted into white families to grow up as white
cultured people, leaving their communities and traditions behind. A lot of the institutions and missions raised the children until they were old enough
to work and they were then sent out to be farmhands. The Victorian Government established the right to remove any (Aboriginal) child in 1869,
Queensland following in 1897 with the act passed giving the 'Chief Protector' the right to remove Aboriginals onto reserves and their children into
dormitories. South
Get more content on HelpWriting.net

Stolen Generations
The stolen generations
The stolen generations were a range of brutal removals of aboriginal children from their families between the late 1800s to the mid 1900s. The core
goal in these removals was known as assimilation. Assimilation was based on the belief that aboriginals were to be treated unequally compared to the
white people, and that the whites had the right to comprise Australia without aboriginals. The main beliefs behind these operations were that aborigines
were inadequate as people and did not meet the borderline standards of civil human beings.
The children were targeted because of their vulnerability towards conforming to the white ways. Half caste children (which is considered an insulting
word) had slightly lighter skin tone and were targeted more often to speed up the process towards a white Australia.
The indigenous children were integrated into the white community in an attempt to deter them from the culture and raise them as white Australians.
Some of these...show more content...
This included eradicating the younger indigenous generation's previous beliefs and practices relating to their aboriginal culture and replacing them
with the white way of life. They also tried to make them eliminate their aboriginal line through breeding with white people. For example an aboriginal
woman would have offspring with a white man. The offspring would only be half indigenous. The child would then grow up to have children with a
white person. The offspring would be only a quarter aboriginal. Eventually the aboriginal heritage would only be in their distant ancestry.
Ultimately this operation was unsuccessful. Despite the governments so called "good intentions" to help aboriginals to adapt to white society, the white
Australians refused to accept them and they continued to be social outcasts. The only thing achieved was tremendous pain and traumatisation to the
children and their

The Stolen Generation Essay
The plight of the stolen generation affected the whole indigenous culture. Based on evidence, the Stolen Generation was traumatising for the children,
due to them being taken from family and forced to live a completely different way. Also, due to the government forcing them to live differently, their
old tradition ways would be forgotten. A policy called assimilation was introduced by the government, which resulted in children being traumatized
from being separated from family. From 1910 to 1970 Indigenous children were taken from their home due to the policy called assimilation by the
government (Australians Together, no date).Australians Together is a social group helping to see better relationships between indigenous and
nonindigenous...show more content...
The effects of assimilation were massive as 60,000 children were taken from their families, and 100,000 people were affected due to losing children
and family. The indigenous culture was destroyed as they couldn't pass down their traditional ways and language to the new generations, and the
children were told nothing of the traditional past so they never learnt the true way of life (Korff, no date). Korff is a person documenting his and others
experience around Australia, mostly indigenous specifically. The children were not taught their traditional language, they experienced trauma as a
result of colonization. This trauma led to poor physical health, mental health problems, addiction, incarceration, domestic violence, self harm and
suicide. Both these sources are reliable as they both corroborate together, and both have primary and secondary sources that happened in or after the
stolen generation. In addition, some of the information by Creative Spirits was used by the National Library of Australia.
In conclusion the stolen generation was a traumatizing time for young indigenous children, as being a children were torn from families and forced to
live with white people and forget their heritage and culture which lead to the aboriginal culture which would lead to the culture being forgotten. The
policy assimilation was introduced by the government, individuals were traumatized by assiliamation. The stolen generation affected the whole
indigenous

The Stolen Generation of Aboriginal Decent Essay
The Stolen Generation has left devastating impacts upon the Aboriginal culture and heritage, Australian history and the presence of equality
experienced today. The 'Stolen Generation' refers to the children of Aboriginal descent being forcefully abducted by government officials of Australia
and placed within institutions and catholic orphanages, being forced to assimilate into 'white society'. These dehumanising acts placed these stolen
children to experience desecration of culture, loss of identity and the extinction of their race. The destructive consequences that followed were effects
of corruption including attempted suicide, depression and drug and alcohol abuse. The indigenous peoples affected by this have endured solitude for
many...show more content...
Although many of these children were later adopted and had experienced an extensive education, the emotional and social cost was too high. The
heartache experienced was detrimental to the growth and to their very survival. The 'Stolen Generation' has had significant effects upon the Australian
history and culture and destructive effects upon the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples affected. Assimilation policies existed in purpose of
allowing the removal of Aboriginal children legal and believed as to be the right thing. The removal policy was managed by the Aborigines Protection
Board. The Aborigines Protection Board was a government board established in 1909 with the power to remove children without parental consent and
without a court order. These policies were especially detrimental to the Aborigines as a 'government' act prevented them with having authority over their
own children and having no power in stopping the abducting of their children. Over causing a significant discrimination against the indigenous race,
breeding hatred and inequality in Australian society, the implementation of these policies caused immense heartache and anguish for the Aboriginal
parents for losing their children, the children of the Stolen Generation experiencing solitude and confusion for majority of their lives and the rest of
society,

The Stolen Generation Analysis
The Stolen Generation was a time when Australian Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families as children by the Federal
Government from the late 1800s to the 1970s. The Stolen Generation had an impact on at least three generations and had many implications for the
sociology of childhood. The Government truly believed that they were helping the Aboriginal "half casts" by taking them from their families and
raising them as Europeans or "white people." The Aboriginals were presented as a "third unwanted race" by Mr Neville, Chief protecter of Aborigines
and were to be removed from existence. Film codes and conventions such as character, set, props, costume/make–up, framing, lighting, camera
techniques and sound have been used

Stolen Generation Effects
Megann Schmidt
ABOR1110
Intro to Aboriginal Studies
Essay – The Stolen Generation
The purpose of this essay is to discuss the impact and effects The Stolen Generation has had on the Aboriginal people of Australia. More specifically, I
will highlight how The Stolen Generation has impacted Aboriginal people's health, by leading to mental illness and addiction. Next, I will assess the
social effects the Stolen Generation has had on Aboriginal people through education and relationships. Additionally, I will discuss the effect The Stolen
Generation has had on the amount of racial consciousness today.
Firstly, removing Aboriginal children from their homes negatively impacted the health of the children and their families by causing mental illness
...show more content...
A child's attachment to it's mother or family is extremely important for proper development, and removing a child from it's family disrupts attachment,
greatly impacting the child's development of skills and relationships (Vicary & Westerman, 2004). While in missions or alternative homes, removed
children were treated much differently than they would have been treated in a normal, healthy home. There was not the stability typically found in a
family, so normal familial relationships could not be established because everything was very temporary. This lack of stability and attachment
contributes to various mental illnesses, as previously mentioned, and future issues in relationships (Parker, 2010). An example of this is this quote
from a woman taken as a child that says "It's wrecking our relationship and the thing is that I just don't trust anybody half the time in my life because I
don't know whether they're going to be there one minute or gone the next," (Australian Human Rights Commission, 1997). Trust issues are common
among members of The Stolen Generation, which affect nearly every relationship had by an individual, but especially their relationships with a partner
or spouse (Parker, 2010). Additionally, since the individuals taken from their families grew up with a disoriented view of aparent to child relationship,
many struggle to raise their own children because they

Stolen Generation In Australia
The 'stolen generation' marks a significant and blemished chapter in Australian history. This was believed as of paramount importance to ensure that
the indigenous Australians were assimilated into the European society in the 1900s. Past laws, and racial policies such as assimilation ensued in the
forceful separation of indigenous children from their mothers by coercion, duress and undue influence to be brought up in foster homes and
institutions. Therefore, the stolen generation can be defined as the half–caste children that were forcibly removed from their mothers in 1910 to 1970,
for the immediate purpose of raising them separately resulting in the denial of their aboriginality, their loss of identity and the ignorance towards their
culture and people. Ultimately, the purpose of such degrading movement was, the vanquish of...show more content...
His belief that as there were fundamentally no children whose capture from their mothers was both forceful and unjust, to speak of separated
children as 'stolen' is incongruous. In order, to prove that children were indeed stolen, close scrutiny of the total number of the victims of this racial
policy need to be achieved. "Nationally we can conclude with confidence that between one in three and one in ten indigenous children were forcibly
removed from their families and comВ¬munities in the period from approximately 1910 until 1970." (Bringing them home report pg. 37). Even Kevin
Rudd, the former prime minister's apology speech proclaims that the total number of the removals was 'up to 50000'. He also proclaimed that between
10 and 30 % of children were forcibly taken from their parents. The assent of these statistics provides evidence in the form of testimonies that children
were undeniably 'stolen' and not

Stolen Generation In Australia
Reconciliation has become the dominant way of discussing about relations between Indigenous and non–Indigenous people in Australia under the issue
of the Stolen Generation over the last decade. The Stolen Generation of the early 20th century was the result of extreme mistrust and cultural disputes
between Indigenous and non–Indigenous Australians. While some historians claim that the Stolen Generation was attempted genocide and others
contradict it by arguing that it was about protectionism, one cannot refute that the Stolen Generation has ultimately hindered reconciliation and will
continue due to the basic ideas that it was built on still exist in modern Australia. It has developed an obvious gap between non–Aborigines and
Aborigines that...show more content...
From the early twentieth century, many in Australia generally began to view that the Aborigines were a "dying out" race which the notion was
supported by the theory of Social Darwinism. The term 'Stolen Generation' was used during the late 20th century where the past Australian Federal,
State and Territory government and church missions forcibly removed many Aboriginal children from their families (Read, 1981) under the white
Australia policy. Read's also adds that the Stolen Generation is evident as assimilation and genocide. Read's article being written by a scholar with
academic credentials can be considered as a reliable account of the invention of the term the Stolen Generations when corroborated by Sally Morgan's
biography, a primary source from an Aboriginal perspective, explicitly stating, "There's so much the white fellas don't understand. They want us to be
assimilated into the white, but we don't want to be" (Morgan 1998). The Stolen Generation's immediate purpose were either: assimilation that could be
potentially be genocide (Wilson, 1937) or for the care and protection of young children (Aborigines Protection Act, 1909). Many historians, such as
Ronald Wilson, who argues that genocide was an element in the Stolen Generation that cannot be overlooked. As a historian with a black armband
view, this source is biased however reliable in representing motives of White Australia during that time period. The beliefs, attitudes and values, which
underpinned the White Australia Policy, were such things as social Darwinism and feelings of racial superiority (Bulletin, 1901). As a published
national article, this primary source is significant in revealing the motives of white Australia at the time. "We must keep the breed pure. The half–caste
usually inherits the vices of both races and

Stolen Generation Essay
The stolen generation has impacted the lives of countless Indigenous Australians. The common perceptions of the Aboriginal people are negative. We
think they should get jobs and work as hard as most white Australians do today. We don't consider the emotions and effects the stolen generation has
had on our indigenous Australian's. We understand the past events were bad but we can't fathom why they don't just move on, forget it and leave the
past behind? By looking through sources, recounts and information we can mould our narrow ideas and preconceptions to be considerate, understand
the horror and respond better towards our indigenous people. In a poem called "Who am I?" Kate Hughes describes her experience of being removed
from her happy...show more content...
The book retells his story and the traumas he has had to face. 10 year old Bill ate vegemite as he got ready for school on a normal morning when 3
men turned up at his place and forced him and his brothers into a car to take them away. He vividly remembers the screams of her mother as she
drove her fist into the road as they drove away. As a 17 year old, Bill's abusive circumstances brought him to the attention of the police as he fell into
drugs, violence and alcohol. When he was 30 he searched for and found his mother – but was instantly rejected because she'd moved on to a new
family. The indigenous people in white communities are more likely to come to the attention of police. These taken children are sadly also prone to
physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Because of these circumstances aboriginals have an increased vulnerability to low self–esteem issues, depression
and other mental illnesses. Knowing that all this pain and suffering is caused by us collectively as a white Australian community, is humiliating.
Why did we feel a need to remove those children forcefully from happy homes? We have broken families and individuals. Sorry will never be
enough. Bill Simon is "still trying to heal now and he is 62. Thinking about it still makes him angry and he will never forget the pain and

Essay On The Stolen Generation
The Stolen Generations:
A Dreadful Time in Australia Why would a government remove over 100,000 children just because of their race and heritage? During 1910 to 1971,
the government of Australia did this now known as, The Stolen Generations of Australia which led to rough times for many families across the whole
continent (McArthy 1). There was no certain right for them to make the entire country suffer in pain for many years. The government removed the kids
from their homes, and they wouldn't see their families for a long time. The Australian government wanted to abolish the Aborigine culture by lying to
the children, separating families away from each other, however they are very apologetic for their actions. In the early to late 1900's, the Australian
government wanted to get rid of the Aborigine culture. They did not want their customs and traditions to live on anymore, so they...show more content...
From all of the effects of the governments and the people's actions, the entire country is very sorry for all of the pain they caused many families. The
country as a whole has recently recognized that families suffered an extreme amount of of PAIN and now they can understand what they have done
(Cuthbert, Denise 12). The Aborigine children that were taken had a very traumatic and depressing childhood filled with a lot of neglect (Graf 1).
Whenever they finally realized it was about time to apologize was a big step for Australia, because it had just become a whole strain for everyone. For
a government to keep these kind of behaviors going on as long as they did, was not the right thing to do to millions of people. It was a good thing
that the country apologized for their wrong behaviors and they have now explained to everyone what they have done and why they did it. Overall an
apology was needed for a very long time but was not given until many years

Throughout this semester my learning experiences have been very significant towards my awareness of the Indigenous population. My personal
perspectives have been impacted throughout this semester drastically also. This unit has helped increase my awareness toward the Indigenous people
of Australia and the immoral battles they where put through in the past. My response to this unit of study was completely different to what I thought it
would have been. My emotions have been triggered considerably throughout this semester. What really touched me was hearing about the horrific
measures Indigenous children were put through. Getting taken away from their families purely because of their Aboriginal background, being
mistreated, and having their...show more content...
This is where assimilation comes into play I believe. Aboriginal people were expected to give up their own culture and traditions and adopt the
Western way of living, with the expectation that they would all assimilate (Stanley et al. 2002). This was further developed as a formal
government policy in 1951 (Gerrer 2013). I believe what really triggered my outrage was what happened to the children when they were taken
away. It was shown to us in class that most children were not put into better households, with a better support system. In fact they were made to be
white peoples slaves, with some cases of sexual abuse and other terrible acts of sinfulness (Lousy Little Sixpence 1983). These Aboriginal families
were told a lie that their children would be sent off to gain an education but instead were not aware in actually their innocent children where soon
to become the slaves of a rich Caucasian families, with no where to escape (Lousy Little Sixpence 1983). I feel as if I've been fed false information
about the history of the country I live in. Hearing the stories Rebecca would tell the class really gave me an insight on the personal experiences she
went through. All of it sounded serial to me, I couldn't grasp onto the fact that such horrific things could happen in a country like Australia, and
continue to do so. Rebecca began to tell the story of her family, I felt like

The Stolen Generation has had a great effect on Aboriginal rights and freedoms as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders didn't even have the rights
to raise and look after their children and as a result 100,000 Aboriginal Australian's were displaced and placed into white families. The lack of
understanding and respect for Aboriginal culture also meant that many people who supported the removal of these children really thought they were
doing "the right thing". The impact on Australian life today is still being felt as the Stolen Generation is seen as a recent event has it only ended in
the early 1970s. Children that where taken away back then now cannot trace back their roots and therefore have no record of their family history or
where...show more content...
The assimilation program and federal law just caused mass amounts of problems not just now but for future generations to come. Many members of the
Stolen Generation have a sense of loneliness, low self–esteem, loss of identity and mistrusting everyone and have also shown a much higher
unemployment rate causing economic problems. The Stolen generation also has had an impact on Parliament as seen in the famous "I'm Sorry"
speech by Kevin Rudd in 2007 and more recent apologies to the "White Stolen Generation". The Stolen Generation has impacted Aboriginal
Australian life drastically and Australian's history and is often portrayed in the media and in movies such as Rabbit Proof Fence. Only in recent
years have we seen the recognition that the stolen generation deserves and the essential part it has play in the struggle of Aboriginal rights. Since the
end of the stolen generation, numerous organisations and government agency has come out and said sorry for what happened for seventy years and
as a result Aboriginal rights are becoming more apparent. The famous "I'm sorry" speech said by Kevin Rudd was the first Parliament apology to the
Stolen Generation and was seen as a huge leap forward in the recognition of the Stolen Generation. The Bringing Them Home Report in 1997 was a
strong campaign for The

Stolen Generations
Between 1910–1970, Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their family and community as the result of the Government's belief in the black
inferiority and white superiority. The children affected by the government issued child removal policies were known as the Stolen Generation. These
children were raised rejecting their own heritage and forbidden to speak their traditional language while under the care of their adoptive white family or
institutions. The forcible removal of these children impacted not only the indigenous people but also the culture itself. Many of the Stolen Generations
suffered physical, mental and sexual abuse and received very low level of education; while the culture itself is disrupted and lost.
The report of the National inquiry into the segregation of aboriginal and Torres strait islander children from their family, entitled 'Bringing Them
Home', was proposed in parliament on the 26 of May 1997; the day prior to the the opening of the National Reconciliation Convention. The report
recognizes that the forcible removal of indigenous children from their family and communities was...show more content...
This include a declaration of the national sorry day, which offers the community to participate in various activities in acknowledgement of the damage
inflicted upon the indigenous population because of the compulsory removal policies. The first National Sorry day took place in Australia in 1998
when a range of community activities such as Sorry book, a collection of signatures and records of people's personal feelings about the event, were
presented and organized for the indigenous community. During the National sorry day on 28th of May 2000, the government organized a bridge walk
across Sydney harbor bridge with over 250,000 participants as an initiative to promote greater mutual understanding between the indigenous and non
indigenous

The Stolen Generations
Introduction
The Stolen Generations are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who, when they were children, were taken away from their families and
communities as the result of past government policies. Children were removed by governments, churches and welfare bodies to be brought–up in
institutions, fostered out or adopted by white families.
The removal of Aboriginal children took place from the early days of British colonisation in Australia. It broke important cultural, spiritual and family
ties and has left a lasting and intergenerational impact on the lives and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Methodology
In this report different source of references used to collect data which include a Governmental issued report, facts and figures from an organisation's
website and reading of newspaper articles written on related topic. All the data gathered is from authentic governmental documents, organisation
research and well known author's newspaper article.
Findings – Facts and figures
How Sorry We Are
Records about the Stolen Generations and their families were kept by governments, as well as by churches and missions. Record keepers all over
Australia hold a vast amount of records about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people but over time some have been lost due to fires, floods and
poor record management. Lost records and changes to government departments can make it very difficult for Stolen Generations to trace family
connections.

The Stolen Generation: A Case Study
*Colonisation from 1788– aboriginal land taken over by British Colonists on the grounds of Terra nullius (the land belonged to nobody) there were
(Australian Human Rights Commission, 2016), (McDonald, 1995, pp. 14–16):
–many battles for land– killing aboriginals eg. due to aboriginal's resistance trying to protect 'their' land, so as to claim land, defend their stock and
when they weren't conforming to their laws
– Aboriginal's food and resources taken/destroyed
–there were organised massacres of the aboriginal people
– using Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders for cheap labour –many aboriginals died due to the introduction of foreign diseases by Europeans eg.
smallpox, measles and influenza * merging and absorption...show more content...
285)
–1993 The Commonwealth native Title Act commenced (explained more further on) (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2016)
–1994 Going Home Conference in Darwin representatives from every State & Territory (Commonwealth of Australia, 1997 , p. 18): * talked about the
history of the indigenous and white people relations and policies and effects they were noticing and discussed strategies of assisting the indigenous
survivors *this led to the devising of 2 compensation plans one in NSW and the other in the NT
...*the Attorney General set up a budget for the issue and it was referred to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission
–1995 National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families (Commonwealth of Australia, 1997 ,
p. 18): *about tracing the history of 'the forcible removal of indigenous

Stolen Generation Case Study
The indigenous youth those between the ages of 10–17, make up 39% of the juvenile justice supervision on any given day during 2010–2011 periods,
spite the fact they only make 5% of the entire population of Australian in this age groups. This static shows overrepresentation of indigenous children in
this juvenile justice system can partly be attributed large portions of indigenous people living low socioeconomic environments. A Senate inquiry that
looked into the conditions of indigenous people found factors such family and community violence, child abuse, drug use and lack of education also
contributed to these rates. It also stipulated that historical injustice such colonialization, removal of children from parents and community (Stolen
generation),

For over fifty years Aboriginal families faced an ongoing battle of being unable to keep their families together. Stripped of their respect, families were
torn apart. The bringing them home report signified a drastic change for the Aboriginal community as it meant that they were finally given the
opportunity to reunite with their loved ones. The bringing back of the stolen generation to their friends and family was an imperative event for the
citizens of the Aboriginal people. It signified that they were once again treated as a human beings rather than being treated as moveable property. Many
Aboriginals who could not forget the gruelling torture faced by them would live with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for the rest of their lives. This
...show more content...
The three movies also explain how wrong it was within humanity. In the Sapphires Gail explains how it was her responsibility to look after Kay,
but due to Kay's skin colour Gail couldn't save her because she was taken away at the hospital. The Rabbit Proof Fence is about how Molly, Daisy
and Grace try and get themselves back home because it was a horrible environment for them to stay in. With no one really caring about them, they
felt as though they needed to get out there as soon as possible so they followed the Rabbit Prof Fence. In Australia, that film is about the romance
between a half caste and a widowed lady trying to save her business. The two end up being a couple and face all the hate with the relationship and the

Stolen Generation Apology
The National Apology to the "Stolen Generations". At first arrival to Australia, my knowledge about history of Indigenous Australians and in particular
about "Stolen Generations" was limited. After research, I have leant about history of Australia's First Peoples and the struggles they have faced. In
February 2008 Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered an apology to the "Stolen Generations" that was addressed to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Australians who had been forcibly removed from their families under government policies. The National Apology to the Stolen Generations
came as a suggested National inquiry into the Removal of Indigenous Children from their families. It expressed the sufferings of Aboriginal peoples
under the

Stolen Generation Essay
The "Stolen Generation" was a group of tragic people in Australian history, they are the victims of the "White Australian policy" pursued by the
Australian government at the beginning of the 20th century. The apology to the Stolen Generations was the first conducted in Parliament by Kevin
Rudd and it established a path to resolving the historical injustice which was fully controlled by the government (Reilly, 2009). This paper will reflect
on my experience of the lecture from Ivan Clarke on the Stolen Generation and identify strategies I could use when teaching the Stolen Generations to
secondary students.
Learning
I immgranted to Australia with my family when I was 15. In Year 10 History class, I knew there's a group of people called the Stolen Genereation.
We had one lesson on the Stolen Generation, learned about the timeline and discussed some "Aboriginal Heros" in sports. It was a historical event for
me until I heard Ivan's story. It was a distressed time for me during the lecutre. Before 15–year–old, I lived seperatly with my parents, I can understand
how it feels when a child been removed from their parents. Upwards of 50,000 indigenous children were removed from their families. These children
were suffered great psychological trauma. They may be able to go home, but they can not return to their childhood; they may be able to reunite with
parents and loved ones again, but the time has passed. After the lecture, I realized that they can go home again, but the

The Birth Of The Stolen Generation

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Featured

Featured (20)

The Birth Of The Stolen Generation