Sorry and Beyond: Healing the Stolen Generations

by Brian Butler, John Bond, Kevin Rudd (Foreword)

Brian Butler’s grandmother was taken from her family in 1910. She was 12 years old. Twenty years later her daughter, Brian’s mother, was taken. Thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, like Brian Butler’s, have been coping with the trauma of child removal for more than a century. Sorry and Beyond describes the growth of the grassroots movement that exposed the truth about Australia’s shameful removal policies and worked towards justice. Born in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, the movement was joined by nearly a million non-Indigenous Australians in the 1998 Sorry Day and Journey of Healing campaigns, which paved the way for the Federal Parliament’s unanimous apology in 2008. As the Journey of Healing campaign has shown, community initiatives have played a vital part in overcoming the immense damage done. The journey isn’t over. Sorry and Beyond is a call to continue the work of healing this national trauma.

Genres: Nonfiction

258 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 3, 2021

Reviews

[Honeypie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books largely talks about "The Stolen Generations" - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (children) who were forcibly removed from their families and communities. They were put in foster homes / community churches led by "white people", where a lot of them were abused, taught how to be "civilised" and forced to forget about their aboriginal origins.

Although some children were taken because their parents had died and they were suffering, although some met foster parents who loved them as their own and gave them great opportunities, and although many cottage parents in the missions were caring people, let none of this blind us to the truly devastating effects of this policy on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made clear in the Bringing Them Home report.
First, it makes it clear that many children were taken from their families, not because they were deprived, but simply because they were Aboriginal.
Many were taken in traumatic circumstances - wrenched from their mothers, or taken by trickery, or on their way home from school, or when their parents were absent.
Children were denied the right to visit their parents; siblings taken were often sent to different institutions. Many never met their families again.
Children were given clear messages that everything Aboriginal was bad, and they were not to have anything to do with Aboriginal people, who were dirty, depraved and lazy.
Conditions in the mission homes were often harsh. Children often went hungry.
Many were deprived of all the those things which we learn in our families - love, identity, culture, history, parenting skills.
And those deprivations have been passed on and will continue in Aboriginal families for a long time.

Reading this book made me think about migration in general. Yes, a lot of people work and migrate to other countries because of the better way of living. But at what expense to the original settlers? I'm not undermining the effort and sacrifice people make, being away from the life they were used to, and their loved ones, and adapting the best they can. But again, at what expense?

I have more thoughts on this topic, but unrelated to the book anymore, so one of these days I'll just blog about it(:

Saw this features article too, and it's so apt. Maybe because it's NAIDOC week recently too.

But reading these books just makes me more aware. And hopefully, a kinder and more respectful person too.

[Toni Umar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sorry and Beyond: Healing the Stolen Generations by Brian Butler and John Bond
One of those books I could not put down, I recommend everyone living in Australia read this book. Despite being non fiction it is not a struggle to read, a lot of facts are presented, but these are interspersed with such interesting (and generally very sad) real life stories. I often found what I was reading seemed surreal or fantasy – how could this really have happened and our leaders actually thought it was acceptable?
The book is about the true people who exposed the ‘stolen generation’, the policies in Australia that removed children from their parents. It’s about the strong Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who did not give up, despite constant dismissal by government leaders. It explores those white Australians who did believe them and support them and how finally in 2008 a formaNational apology came about.
Did you know that in 1909 every state in Australia had legalised the removal of Indigenous children? That in 1927 an Aboriginal group was formed (Australian Aboriginal Progressive Association) that asked the government to agree to leave children with their parents (page 4). Almost 100 years later children are still being removed!! A 1989 study showed that children who had been removed where less likely to complete secondary education, three times more likely to have a police record and twice as likely to use illicit drugs (page 25).
I had lots of post it notes through out the book, but I can’t share them all in the review. Despite the serious topic it’s an ‘easy’ read, as in the writing style is not heavy and a chapter is easily absorbed. The content is not ‘easy’, I was frequently angry and often in tears, so if you understand right from wrong, you may be affected the same.
Please read this book. Share copies and talk about it. We have Sorry Day in Australia on Monday May 26th, be knowledgeable and aware. ❤️🖤💛

[Emily Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An in-depth perspective and explanation of the events leading to and surrounding the famous apology.

[Brian Belworthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its appalling how the Indigenous Australians have been treated.
It shows that New Zealanders must look after our Indigenous people who are an integral part of the New Zealand culture.