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Image source, Getty Images/ Ian Waldie
The future of any nation is its children. But what happens if a race is left without children for generations? The Australian government has been apologizing to the public every year for doing so.
February 26 is observed annually as National Amnesty Day to commemorate the injustices perpetrated against the Indigenous people of Australia during the British rule.
To the extent that a country apologizes to its people, what happened? Let’s start to understand from a short story.
“It’s an indigenous village. When they wake up in the morning, it’s customary for these people to mix animal fat on charcoal and coat the children. Only then will these children look like black people.
Whenever whites came to their area, the children were told to run and hide in the trees and bushes.
In other words, children were put in bundles to escape the whites. Sneezing should be suppressed even if it occurs. That’s all if you sneeze beyond that too. Will be abducted by whites.
Then the white couple had to be adopted or locked up in camps on the border Murray River until the end of time. Even though we are the natives of Australia, this is what our life was like. “
Image source, Screengrab
Indigenous Children’s Camp
Not one, not two. This situation lasted from 1905 to 1970. You read above the confession given by Jones (name has been changed) to one of those indigenous peoples. OK. If this is the case then maybe yours is a good idea. But it was the then government of that country that legally did this.
Who are these people? Why this condition?
Like all countries, Australia had a black-and-white divide. But, meanwhile, there were also indigenous peoples of Australia. They were called half Caste aborigines and used as a separate species by the colonial government. Also, the government took a decision to turn these children into white children.
Accordingly these children should be separated from their own place and raised in the homes of white people or in camps run by missionaries. To this end, a law was enacted in 1905 called the Indigenous Protection Act.
Image source, Screengrab
Indigenous Protection Act 1905
Under this law, the state has the power to separate children from ethnic groups. For this purpose, separate guards will be appointed for the respective areas under the leadership of a Minister.
That defender will be in the area under his jurisdiction Camp for indigenous childrenWill send to s. Children will be forcibly taken away from parents who refuse to send. This responsibility also belongs to that guardian.
What happens in the camps?
In these camps, the aim is to completely forget the ethnic identity of the children. For that the children were first renamed. They were given new English names. Their cult was changed. Churches in the camps are to be worshiped according to the newly prescribed system.
Do not say their old names even when talking to each other. The camps were given special restrictions on never speaking their mother tongue.
Violation of any of these will result in severe punishment. The 1977 report Bringing Them Home stated that those who escaped from the camps would face severe punishment.
The plight of children who went to work in the homes of white people without going to camp is even more horrific. A 1997 study submitted to the Australian Government on the issue found that girls in particular were sexually abused.
Image source, Screengrab
Indigenous children working in the laundry
Okay now let’s continue that short story?
The kidnapper sexually abused the girl while she was working in the home of a white kidnapped child from such a tribe.
The master suddenly entered the girl’s room and forcibly raped her, despite the girl’s opposition.
As a result, when the girl became pregnant, she was threatened that she would suffer more if she said this outside. Disappointment for the little girl who thought the mistress could tell her mother.
The threat was made by the master’s wife, who was infected with fear and despair. Desiring to take his own life in despair ‘Eli ate the medicine. But, not dead. On the contrary, physical abuse occurred. The girl was punished for this too.
Thus many children were sexually abused in camps, institutions and workplaces. A 1997 report found that 83% of sexual assaults during this period were unrecorded.
Image source, Screengrab
83% of sexual assaults are not even recorded
This is how the natives were treated legally. But the law was enacted promising to give them a civilized way of life and education. That is why the law states that this approach was followed.
Forgive us
This system, which was followed until the 1970s, caused many Indigenous children to lose their families. The children suffered from being white and unable to think and live as an indigenous people.
They were not even included in the census until 1967. The Australian Human Rights Commission says indigenous peoples of Australia were included only after a referendum that year.
In 1995, the government set up a committee to look into the matter and submit a formal study. The panel submitted its report in 1997, gathering the experiences of more than 500 individuals over two years and conducting legal studies.
Image source, Screengrab
1977 report entitled Bringing them home
The report, entitled Bringing them home, was adopted by the government on May 26, 1977. To mark the occasion, Amnesty Day is observed annually by the Australian Government.
The first Prime Minister of the Australian Parliament, Kevin Rudd, publicly apologized in 2008 for the manner in which these people were treated by government laws.
As he speaks,
- “The time has come to correct past mistakes and move on to a new page in Australian history.
- We apologize for the governmental laws and policies that have caused great suffering and loss to our fellow Australians.
- We especially apologize for the aboriginals and the removal of Torres Strait Island children from their families.
- We apologize for this stolen generation and their descendants and their families.
- We apologize for the inconvenience caused to the culture of the proud people. ”
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has apologized to parliament.
Image source, Getty Images
The government has apologized for the injustice done to its people. But those children could not identify who their parents were. The same is true for parents. To this day, this stolen generation of children continues to search for their families. Many are not yet available.
The story of these lost generations is still alive with traces of increasingly painful traces to describe. The Ministry of Indigenous Affairs is currently working with the Australian Government to ensure that they receive the land, land, respect and equal rights they deserve.
Here is a video of BBC Tamil’s previous livelihood issues facing indigenous peoples around the world.
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Livelihood threats facing indigenous peoples worldwide
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