Aboriginal children
Aboriginal children forcibly removed from their families until 1970 take Australia to court.
"They wiped out entire generations as if they never existed," says Heather, who was 9 when she was taken from her mother.
What do you think about that?
Hello everyone!
ReplyDeleteI feel bad to read Heather's testimonial. She's very young, still a children actually, nevertheless she already suffered from too much pain. We must recognize that the trauma and violence that they have experienced is exacerbated by their Indigeneity due to the colonial histories presenting. Moreover, though dearth, it is obvious that trauma-informed and culturally safe interventions play a significant role in Indigenous children’s health and well-being while in care. To conclude we could say that their experiences of abuse and neglect transcend individual trauma and include intergenerational pain and suffering resulting from long-lasting impacts of colonization, displacement from culture and country, genocidal policies, racism, and the overall systemic disadvantage. The least we can do is to provide them with quality medical care.
Thank you for reading me!
Liouba Tremeau 109
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI think what happened with the indigenous people in the past is really horrible and that the children should be given their due because they couldn't grow up alongside their families, which is not acceptable.
Hello,
ReplyDeletePersonally,I think the Aborigines were right to take Australia to court. Indeed, they were forced to leave their family when they were just children. Until 1970, the Australian government deprived the Aborigines of their children, failing to respect basic human rights.
I made a mistake:
Delete- Australian government
believe that at the time, something had to be done about this issue so the decision to take Australia to court was the right one. In fact, the impacts on this « stolen generation » were absolutely terrible leading them to forget who their biological family was or even create a sense of shame about being of indigenous heritage. On top of that, when these children were removed, they received a very low level of education given that they were expected to work as manual laborers and domestic servants, they were often punished harshly and could be physically abused. As for their parents, seing their children being taken away must have been horrible. But thanks to this action taken against it, Australian people can now somewhat understand what happened and aim to build a brighter future.
ReplyDeleteCorrection:
DeleteI believe that at the time, something had to be done about this issue so the decision to take Australia to court was the right one. In fact, the impacts on this « stolen generation » were absolutely terrible leading them to forget who their biological family was or even create a sense of shame about being of indigenous heritage. On top of that, when these children were removed, they received a very low level of education given that they were expected to work as manual laborers and domestic servants, they were often punished harshly and could be physically abused. As for their parents, seing their children being taken away must have been horrible. But thanks to this action taken against it, Australian people can now somewhat understand what happened and aim to build a brighter future.
I think it's only natural that he reacts like this, because they have clearly been treated like animals, and now they have to assert themselves and make everyone who destroyed them pay.
ReplyDeleteIn some countries there is hardly anything left, as if it never existed, so they deserve justice.
I actually already knew about this "stolen-generation" from Australia because we talked about this in class with my previous english teacher. I think what the Australian government did back in the nineteenth-twentieth century is horrible and unhuman towards the families they have torn apart. As for taking Australia to court, I have quite mixed-feelings: on the one hand the current government is not responsible for what the previous ones did, and on the other hand, it is right for this generation to claim justice for what they have suffered.
ReplyDeleteI think that what Australia did was extremely wrong. Separating a child from their parents at a young age can be a traumatizing experience for these children. Something from which they possibly could not recover from. It also seems like a cruel and unjustified action. Australia has only done it because they were aboriginal, which is clearly discriminatory. These childrens' childhoods were completely ruined, and I believe it is in their rights to now prosecute Australia for their horrible actions against them. These children demand reparations and it's high time they now get it. This lawsuit against the Australian government is also a way to spread awareness towards what Australian has done in the past. It's a way to show how horrible these actions can be to the world and that it should never be repeated.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteThe acts that took place until 1970 and against Australian aboriginals were very traumatic for the country's history. The government wanted to eliminate mixed race Australian because they were considered as the inferior race whereas white skinned people constituted the superior race... So, aboriginals were considered as a threat for the white race, and it is for this reason that the governement decided to removed aboriginal children from their families : to prevent their race and culture from developing.
It is very sad and schoking to learn that theses acts took place, and a short time ago. I am relieved that this scandal has been revealed. For me, this policy, with the aim of wipe out Australian aboriginals, is comparable to a crime against humanity.
It is a very good thing that some victims take Australia to court, because justice must be done.
Correction :
Delete§2 : "It is very sad and SHOCKING [...] For me, this policy, with the aim AT WIPING out"
At that time, the white men automatically wanted to impose their culture on the colonies. They called this action saving, for them the aboriginal populations are only "savages" but it is not so. So the children were separated from their families and were forced to adopt another culture than their mother culture. This action is simply revolting. I think that no culture, no civilisation is superior to another. There are as many cultures as there are peoples and all are unique and enrich the diversity of the human race. I therefore obviously support the aboriginal children who are bringing Australia to justice. This should have happened earlier.
ReplyDeleteI believe what happened to aboriginal children in the history is very dreadful. Children need their parents to grow up, to receive affection and to learn about their culture. Similarly, it's very difficult for parents to be separated from their children because they are the most important people in their lives and it’s sad and dramatic that they couldn’t see their children. Thus, we must take lessons from the past to prevent these atrocities in the future.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a huge mistake made by the Australian government. Indeed, taking these children away from their families without their permission constitutes a violation to fundamental human liberties. Plus, the fact that they don't even have the right to express their feelings about this decision contradicts the principle of equality amongst all humans, hence reducing them to a status of non-human beings. In my opinion, the government shouldn't get involved in deciding about Aborigene peoples' future and the environment in which they should be raised : it is all about respecting their cultural heritage.
ReplyDeleteI think these aboriginal children need to sue Australia. they have been through a lot of trauma, including being forcibly removed from their families until 1970. Being "erased from entire generations as if they never existed," according to Heather, who was 9 years old when she was taken from her mother, is a very horrific experience. These children should be given their due because they were not allowed to grow up alongside their families, which is unacceptable.
ReplyDeleteChaïma Nmn
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI think it's normal that the aborigines react like this and take the Australian government to court. Indeed, they were forced to leave their family when they were only children and were treated like animals. Until 1970, the government deprived the Aborigines of their children, not respecting human rights. It is now that they must assert themselves and make those who divided them pay.
Diane Planchon