Racism in Australia - Indigenous Australians - Historical Relations - Stolen Generations

Stolen Generations

The Stolen Generations are children of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who were removed from their families by Australian Federal and State agencies and church missions, under acts of parliament. The removals occurred in the period between approximately 1869 and 1969, although in some places children were still being taken in the 1970s. Historians such as Henry Reynolds have argued that this constitutes genocide.

In April 2000, the Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Herron, presented a report in the Australian Parliament that questioned whether there had been a "Stolen Generation", arguing that only 10% of Aboriginal children had been removed, and they did not constitute an entire "generation". The report received media attention and there were protests.

On 13 February 2008 Prime Minister Kevin Rudd presented an apology for the "Stolen Generation" as a motion in Parliament.

Read more about this topic:  Racism In Australia, Indigenous Australians, Historical Relations

Famous quotes containing the words stolen and/or generations:

    You lovers of knowledge! So what have you done out of your love of knowledge up to now? Have you already stolen and murdered so as to know how a thief and a murderer feels?
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    And we ourselves shall go;
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