Survivors of the stolen generation speak of their grief and hope for a better future

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Survivors of the stolen generations and community leaders spoke before the commissioner delivered the apology. They spoke of grief as well as hope for a better future which they believe will follow.

Transcript

00:00As a survivor my passion for seeking justice for the stolen generations has

00:06spanned for over 20 years. It has been a personal priority of mine and to keep

00:11the stolen generations at the forefront to ensure that our dark history is not

00:16forgotten and will never be forgotten. For many survivors our earliest memories

00:24are police coming into our homes, removing us, taking us to the

00:33nearest police station and then off to institutions we were to go. And I

00:42guess for a lot of us and I know for myself personally seven siblings removed

00:48all at once. Shanghai from Swan Hill to Melbourne and the disconnectedness that

00:55I had endured with my family, with my community, with my culture, my identity, my

01:02language. Those things that you know I think we as survivors struggle with you

01:11know and and you know I sit here and look in the room and there's so many of

01:17us and I I'm always emotional on days like this but it is we are making

01:23history today and and I'm so honoured and proud to be part of this. We know and

01:30we've heard and we've seen videos of putting our children in cars, removing

01:34them. I do today congratulate the Commissioner for his acceptance of all

01:40the recommendations in relation to the police out of the York

01:44Commission and of your commitment and sincerity throughout. It has generally

01:49shown leadership but today will we hear from the Commissioner of the recognition

01:56of the police from the harm that they personally caused. Will the police commit

02:00to eliminate the scourge of racism both in at an individual and institutional

02:06level. Will police focus on the local level where police culture lies at their

02:12selection and training protocols and of their effect and of their leadership and

02:17whether it is making a difference. The apology will be an admission of the

02:22Victorious Police's failure to protect and of their role. No doubt we will hear

02:27of regret and of the important word sorry. I want to say today that this is a

02:32really important day. It's very important because this is the first time the

02:37police have apologised to the Stolen Generations. We had the Prime Minister of

02:42Australia apologise and I remember that day very, very well because the

02:48President at the time, my uncle Alf Bamblett, made sure that this was all set up so

02:54that we could all listen to the apology that was happening in Canberra for

02:58those people who couldn't go and there were mob here then who listened to the

03:02apology and cried and laughed and loved. And today we're going to have that. We're

03:08going to have cries and we're going to have laughter and we're going to have love. But I

03:11want to thank Victorious Police. Shane, I want to thank you and your mob for even

03:17having the guts to come and apologise and to come here today.

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