The Bringing Them Home Committee (WA) in conjunction with Reconciliation WA and a wide range of partners held its Annual Sorry Day commemoration at Wellington Square again this year. An amazing array of activities and performances attracted the biggest ever crowd for a Sorry Day event held in Perth.

Click here for more information and photos

MEDIA RELEASE
12TH February 2015

This year is the Seventh Anniversary of the Apology to the Stolen Generations and we have seen the release of yet another disappointing report card by the Federal Government on Closing the Gap. It is time, however, to remind the Government that the Apology was focussed on the Stolen Generations and research clearly highlights the reality that there is also an additional gap in health and wellbeing outcomes between the Stolen Generations and their families and the broader Aboriginal community.
Aboriginal Co-Convenor of the Bringing Them Home Committee (WA), Jim Morrison stated on hearing the outcomes of the Close the Gap Report, “We have been aware through many community reports that there are poorer outcomes in health and wellbeing measures for the Stolen Generations and we were delighted that academic research by Associate Professor Michael Dockery from Curtin University provides clear, undeniable evidence to confirm our perceptions.”
Associate Professor Dockery says in one of his Research Papers:
“The legacy of these policies (the policy of removing Aboriginal children from their families) is still apparent in significantly worse health status and higher incidences of arrest and alcohol abuse. Even though these policies were intended to accelerate the integration of Indigenous people into the mainstream economy, the results pertaining to employment outcomes suggest they had exactly the opposite effect” (Michael Dockery “Culture and wellbeing: The case of Indigenous Australians”, CLMR DISCUSSION PAPER SERIES 09/01)

“Sadly past Government funding priorities have not acknowledged the need to address this “double gap” in social outcomes and the plight of the Stolen Generations and their families has been largely ignored. We are looking to the Commonwealth Government to redress this oversight as it reviews the funding for Aboriginal programs across the country”, Jim Morrison concluded.
Further comment: Jim Morrison: 0408 917 133
For a full copy of Associate Professor Michael Dockery’s Paper: http://ceebi.curtin.edu.au/local/docs/2009.01_CultureWellbeing.pdf

As part of the AFL’s Indigenous Round, the Bringing Them Home Committee formed a partnership with the Fremantle Football Club which saw the inclusion of the purple native hibiscus, the symbol of the Stolen Generations, on the Dockers Indigenous Round Guernsey (watch video).

As a result of that partnership the Bringing Them Home Committee and Reconciliation WA managed to obtain corporate sponsorship from Woodside and the Programmed Group to take some Stolen Generations people from around WA to Melbourne to watch the Dockers match against the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium on Sunday 1st June 2014. The group had a great time and were proud to see the prominence given to the Indigenous players and the recognition of the Stolen Generations. The Dockers Banner, which the team ran through onto the Stadium, included an image of the native hibiscus and the words “Honouring the Stolen Generations” and twenty Stolen generations representatives from WA and Melbourne formed an Honour Guard as they ran onto the ground.

The Bringing Them Home Committee and Reconciliation WA would like to thank the Dockers for their substantial assistance and support in undertaking this venture and their ongoing commitment to reconciliation. We would also like to thank and acknowledge Woodside and Programmed for their generosity and for their commitment to reconciliation and to the Stolen Generations.

Here are some photos from the day:

Ross Lyon has expressed his pride in seeing Fremantle embrace National Sorry Day and the Indigenous community.

Speaking at his weekly media conference in Perth, the Freo senior coach wore the purple Sorry Day flower, which is the national symbol for the Stolen Generations across Australia.

It aims to create awareness of the removal policy that affected many families,people and cultural groups.

Without being prompted by journalists, Lyon interrupted questions about football to point out the flower and highlight the significance of Sorry Day to Australian society.

“I’ve got the purple flower on and I really want to acknowledge Sorry Day, the Stolen Generations and its continuing impact on those families and the community over several decades,” he told the assembled media. Continue reading “Freo proud to embrace Sorry Day: Lyon” →

Bringing Them Home WA welcomes the work of the Fremantle Dockers in highlighting the story of Michael Johnson, one of their great Indigenous players, who will be attending this year’s Sorry Day activities.  The Dockers Indigenous Round jumper will feature a native hibiscus, the Stolen Generations Commemorative Flower, to coincide with Sorry Day.

For more information about the Stolen Generations Commemorative Flower, visit the Kimberley Stolen Generation Aboriginal Corporation website.

Johnson to launch Freo’s 2014 Indigenous Round jumper

Michael Johnson will today launch Fremantle’s 2014 Indigenous Round themed jumper.
The defender and his fellow Indigenous players at the club will wear the jumper at Freo headquarters. Fremantle will run out in the jumper against the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium on Sunday 1 June in this year’s AFL Indigenous Round.
The 2013 Indigenous Round jumper was extremely well received by the playing group and garnered wide support among Fremantle members and supporters.
The club’s 2014 Indigenous Round jumper is the clash version of last year’s home jumper, which this year features the Stolen Generation Commemorative Flower above three boomerangs.
The flower, a native hibiscus, is the national symbol for the Stolen Generations across Australia. It aims to create awareness of the removal policy that affected many families, people and cultural groups.
It was adopted because it is found widely across Australia and is a survivor. Its colour denotes compassion and spiritual healing.
Continue reading “Dockers Commemorate Sorry Day” →

We are now able to offer the Sorry Day Prayers for the Stolen Generations in a powerpoint format ready to be used in faith communities on or around Sunday 26 May.

Click on the image below to download the Powerpoint file.  If you have trouble accessing it contact wendy.hendry@wa.uca.org.au to be emailed a copy direct.