Australia to apologize to its aboriginal people

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I found the announcement in a state newspaper. A google news search turns up more.

The Rudd Labor government will formally say sorry to members of the indigenous stolen generation when federal parliament resumes in Canberra next month.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will deliver the apology on February 13, more than 10 years since the Bringing Them Home human rights report recommended the government say sorry for the policy of removing indigenous children from their parents.

It will be the first item of business for the new parliament.

An Aboriginal welcome to country ceremony will take place as part of the opening proceedings for parliament the day before. -The Age

For background information I recommend watching Rabbit Proof Fence which I reviewed two years ago..

Comments

Anonymous said…
I don't know how useful or sincere these apologies are to native groups where ever they may be. It is so long after the events apologized for, with the people involved long dead. I cannot apologize for someone else's sin. It would be much more substantial for the US, Canadian, and Australian gov'ts to treat the living natives today as sovereign nations, instead of economic and political threats. This would be far more effective to restoring trust and bringing about some forgveness. What they are doing is simply a publicity stunt.
Even so called liberal states and politicians treat Indians not as sovereign nations but as competition to their state control. Look at the infamous smoke shop case in R.I. and the SJC of Mass. Refusing to let the Aquinnah build a tool shed without gov't approval on their own land. Stop pulling stunts like thatand would be more credible than grandstanding in an utterly insincere and useless way.

Dan
January 30, 2008
Anonymous said…
I thought the events were more remote in time than the 1930's. Didn't read the material closely enough initially.
January 30, 2008
dmarks said…
The Australian aborigines got the right to vote during the 1960s
January 30, 2008
Anonymous said…
The Tribes in Maine got the right to vote in federal elections in 1954 and state elections in 1967.
When all Indians received citizenship in 1924, many states still refused to give their tribes the right to vote. This lasted generally until the 60's, though some tribes in the west and Southwest had problems after that.

Dan
January 31, 2008
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