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