LM is correct. There was no stolen generation. There was a separated generation (or two) but they were removed for their own good by well-meaning officials, nurses, doctors and the like.

There are now innumerable cases of people claiming to be stolen based on their own hopes or what they'd been told by parents etc, who have since found out otherwise.

People like Gunner and Cabillo who actually took their cases to court only to find out a series of unpalatable truths. Gunner's mother actually tried to kill him which is why he was removed - his father was white and the half-caste child bought shame on the mother.

Then there are cases like Louise O'Donoghue who originally claimed to be stolen but later, on learning the truth coined the term 'separated' since she had been put into care by her parents.

Thousands of kids were 'separated'. To date only one example of such separation being for reasons other than the welfare of the child has been found....and that separation was held to have been illegal.

But who can blame the kids for wanting to believe that they were ripped out of the arms of loving parents. And who can blame parents for telling fables about having their kids taken when in fact they were usually pleased to have the kids go to a better place.

But a stolen generation is a myth.

There are many who disagree.

The following is just one link on - "The myth of
the Stolen Generations - A Rebuttal", by Peter
Read:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-02-15/37108

Evidence, my dear Foxy. Provide evidence. OF COURSE, some people are going to try and put their hands out for 'compensation' but surely it's up to them to provide conclusive evidence of any dreadful offences against them by the State ?

And, for god's sake, WHY ? Why would any government want to take on the responsibilities for raising Aboriginal kids in homes - where ?? - until they're eighteen or twenty one ? Where did this happen ? Who ? For god's sake, get some evidence. Frankly, I'm amazed that it happened only once - in the case of Bruce Trevorrow down at Meningie here in SA. Surely some social workers, etc., would have found some Aboriginal kids just beautiful, captivating, absolutely charming, bright, amazingly gorgeous little darlings ? Because - of course - they can be.

No ? Only the once ? Marj Angus ? Who, by the way, is now buried in the cemetery at Pt McLeay, she really loved those people.

Joe

Dear Joe,

I'm trying to be as respectful as possible here but
frankly we have been over this many, many times in
the past. You keep banging on about evidence. All you have
to do is visit your own South Australian Museum - there are
people there who will help you. There's the "Bringing Them
Home Report "which was delivered to parliament on 26th May
1997.

There's so much information that's available now in
Australian Museums and National Libraries - Including
the various government policies of assimilation
that existed where between 1910 and the 1970s many First
Nations children were forcibly removed from their families.

Anyway, as I stated previously - this is a topic that is
pointless to discuss with you. Lets leave it there.

"There's the "Bringing Them
Home Report "which was delivered to parliament on 26th May
1997."

The thing about the "Bringing Them Home" report was that it wasn't an investigation of the claims. They simply allowed people to make their claims about being stolen and then recorded them. The commissioner specifically said they didn't want to look into the facts behind the claims because it would have been disrespectful and distressing for the claimants.

It was only later that some of the claims were fully investigated (either by the courts of researchers) and found to be factually lacking in all cases other than Bruce Trevorrow.

The thing about the "Bringing Them Home" report?

Fact check tells us that:

" It was a national inquiry that investigated the
forced removal of Indigenous children from their
families. This forcible removal of Indigenous
children was part of assimilation policies adopted
by all Australian governments throughout the 20th
century. Despite the widespread nature of the
practice, mainstream recognition of the experience has
been only relatively recent".

"In 1995 the Australian Government asked the Human Rights
and Equal Opportunity Commission to carry out a national
inquiry into the separation of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander from their families. The inquiry was
established because of the efforts of many Indigenous
communities concerned that the public's ignorance of
forcible removal was hindering the recovery of Stolen
Generations members and their families".

It was set up to:

1) Examine the past laws, practices and policies of forcible
separation of Aboriginal and TSI children from their families
and their effects.

2) Identify what should be done in response, including
any changes in current laws, practices and policies with
a focus on location and re-unifying families.

3) Look at the current laws, policies and practices
affecting the placement and care of Indigenous children.

54 Recommendations were made - most of which were
ignored by the Howard Government.

To set the record straight - the report found that
between 1 in 10, possibly as many as 1 in 3 Indigenous
children were removed from their families and communities
between 1910 and the 1970s. We're told that these children
were taken by the police, from their homes, or on their
way to school and put into institutions, fostered
or adopted out to non-indigenous families.

Many suffered harsh, degrading treatment (including
sexual abuse) and were indoctrinated to believe Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander people were inferior.