This Sunday, 13th February 2022 marks the 14th anniversary of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations by then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. In 2008, Prime Minister Rudd made the formal apology on behalf of the Federal Government, to the Stolen Generations; the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were forcibly removed from their families and communities by successive colonial and Australian governments. This apology was an historically significant step forward in truth-telling and acknowledging the detrimental impact of our nation’s shared history, however there are many First Nations Australians who are still healing from the intergenerational trauma of past government policies that resulted in the forcible removal of children.
National Apology Day is a day of remembrance. It is important we commemorate and acknowledge the wrongs of the past, while reflecting on the work that still needs to be done to address the impacts of unresolved trauma for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. On Sunday, please join PeakCare in reflecting on what we can each do to commemorate the apology and keep the spirit of its words and their meaning alive. Please see the Healing Foundation for more information.