MEMBERS of the Stolen Generations shared their often moving life stories with Brisbane Catholic school students and others on the first anniversary of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s historic national apology to indigenous people.
The speakers also called for action to recover “stolen wages” of the indigenous people as well as for a reopening of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.
At the same time a tone of reconciliation was struck with comments noting that “we’re all God’s children made in His image, black or white”.
The event, held at Justice Place, Woolloongabba, on February 13, was organised by Brisbane archdiocese’s Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (CJPC) in conjunction with the Murri Ministry team.
Highlights included the lighting of a candle by Auxiliary Bishop Brian Finnigan of Brisbane and Aboriginal elder Aunty Estelle Sandow during the opening prayer for the Journey of Healing as well as the signing of a plaque to celebrate the anniversary of the apology.
Among those attending were Brisbane indigenous community elders and students and staff from colleges including St Peter Claver, All Hallows’, San Sisto and St Laurence’s.
The Prayer for the Journey of Healing noted that the gathering placed before God “the pain and anguish of dispossession of land, language, lore, culture and family kinship that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have experienced”.
CJPC executive officer Peter Arndt said it was “important to hold this gathering to continue the process of people in Catholic communities around the archdiocese understanding the history that culminated in the apology one year ago today”.
Mr Arndt introduced two of the indigenous speakers.
“We are privileged to have here today people affected by that history – people like Aunty Estelle Sandow and Aunty Ettie Gleeson who was born under a gumtree near a bridge on the way to Cherbourg,” he said.
Aunty Ettie then spoke of her experiences and life as one of those written about in the book “Cherbourg Dorm Girls” by Jeannie Mok.
Aboriginal Anglican Church elder and chaplain to indigenous prison inmates Aunty Alex Gater kept the gathering entranced with stories of her childhood.
Later, Aunty Alex said she believed that, when Mr Rudd made the apology to indigenous people for the Stolen Generations on behalf of Federal Parliament, he had done so “from the heart”.
“However, I’d certainly like to see a lot more follow-up action on things like the stolen wages and the reopening of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody,” she said.
Mr Arndt, in conclusion, said he saw the apology as “an important start”.
“Sending indigenous speakers such as these elders to our schools is one way of ensuring that this story continues to be heard,” he said.
