The right thing to do; A response by Christine Fejo-King, Co-Chair of the Stolen Generations Alliance, to the Prime Minister’s speech.
 
Hearing the word ‘Sorry’ come from the Prime Minister of Australia has been a long time coming.
 
Many people thought they would never live to hear it. Many passed away before they did. But on an overcast Canberra morning in February, millions of Australians across the country took the time to stop, listen, and be part of history.
 
For members of the Stolen Generations, their descendents and families, it was a day filled with high emotions. We shed tears of sadness and joy. We hugged with happiness and for comfort. And for many of us, it was the relief and peace we had been searching for, for so long.
 
Healing is such a personal thing. How you feel about yourself and whether you feel your story is acknowledged and believed plays a big part in being able to face other issues and especially in being able to do something to turn things around. Each of us is on our own journey of healing but so often it begins with small words and actions.

Saying ‘Sorry’ was the right thing to do. Past government policies and practices of removing Indigenous children have damaged so many peoples’ lives. Saying ‘Sorry’ acknowledged the past, the trauma it caused at the time, and the hurt and suffering it continues to cause today. For Stolen Generations, our story is now recognised as part of the Australian story and the history of this country.
 
But the Federal Government’s apology to the Stolen Generations was not just about healing for Aboriginal people. It was also about the healing of our nation.
 
It was a proud moment when we, as a country, were mature enough to recognise a dark chapter of our history, face it, and look towards a better future for all. The act of saying sorry laid an important foundation stone for all of us to move forward together.
 
In the weeks before ‘the Apology’ there was a lot of talk about compensation, and no doubt there will be much more in the weeks, months and years to come. But on the day, ‘the Apology’ transcended political debate. To hear the Prime Minister say sorry with such compassion and empathy and to see the whole Parliament endorse the motion, you could not help but be filled with a sense of hope for the future.
 
Symbols are important. They affect the way we see and think about ourselves. Indigenous people have known this for eons.
 
Of course words are meaningless without action. But by saying that one word, the Federal Parliament has stood up and taken responsibility for things that are important, and indeed essential, for respectful relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Trauma can only be healed through better relationships.
 
And as the events and activities around the country showed, relationships were built all over the place. This was not the act of politicians out of touch with their citizens. Millions of Australians all over the country assembled in workplaces and schools. They gathered in front of large public screens in big cities and small televisions in outback communities, to witness this special moment in our history.
 
In Canberra the reaction was overwhelming. Many of our people traveled to the nation’s capital from all over the country to hear ‘the Apology’ in person. And the enormous outpouring of generosity from the local Canberra community exceeded all expectations. It was truly a day honouring Stolen Generations’ members, their families and communities as the Canberra community opened their hearts and homes making people feel welcome and extending a sense of belonging.

The warmth shown by so many, in so many ways, right across this nation, has been in the spirit of a true home-coming. It started with our leaders and it reverberated throughout the country. To all those Australians we say ‘thanks’.
 
After the formalities of the day, after the tears and sorry business, we gathered on the lawns of Federation Mall outside Parliament House. We reconnected with family, we restored relationships that were fractured after many decades of separation and in some cases we met members of our family for the first time.
 
After many years of being denied and disappointed we took the time to celebrate and to absorb the moment. And we encouraged all Australians to join with us to reflect on such a momentous occasion.

There is, without a doubt, a lot of hard work still to come. Saying sorry doesn’t immediately change the terrible gaps that remain in the life expectancy rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. It doesn’t over-night stop the pain caused from being taken from your family and your culture. Nor can it erase the memories and experiences that scar many members of Stolen Generations.
But it’s the start of a new chapter.
 
Now is the time for us to write a new future for all Australians so that no child will grow up to be discriminated against because of their race or the colour of their skin. And all children will have the same opportunities to achieve and be the best they can.