M2 - Learner Manual

9.7. The Stolen Generation - Rights and Responsibilities

The rights and responsibilities of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in relation to the Stolen Generations include educating oneself on the history and impact of removals. Please also be conscious of your language and how you address this matter. People are sensitive to how they are referred to, often being dismissed as ‘they have not grown up with an Aboriginal experience or not being Aboriginal enough’.

People have been removed from their Aboriginal families and this does not mean that they are not Aboriginal any more, even if they cannot find their families. The point of working to support Stolen Generations is to heal and to help in reunification and there are many different experiences of this.

Rights:

·         to be able to know about history

·         to access services and programs to assist

·         to be part of the Indigenous community

·         to be supported be other Aboriginal people rather than having to justify their Aboriginality

Responsibilities:

·         to be educated about the Stolen Generations

·         to respectful to people and the subject

·         to be supportive and informed

There are many things that people can do collectively, and this includes being more informed about the history and the issues around this matter.