The British migrants were not following many of the essential Catholic Social Teachings (CST) which should have been considered before the event was carried out. The most important teaching in this situation is the teaching of ‘Subsidiarity and Participation’ (Caritas.org.au. 2015) This CST means that every person should have the right to make decisions about their lives rather than have decisions made for them. The British migrants made life altering decisions for the Aboriginal parents, this is a blatant disregard of the teaching and does not grant the parents the basic rights over their children. Secondly was the teaching of ‘Dignity of the Human Person. This means that people of every age, culture, race and ethnicity should be respected and treated with dignity. The Aboriginal people were treated a if they were an inferior race and they were treated like animals rather than human beings. This is disrespectful and inhumane. One of the most important documents to the development and history to be agreed upon and signed by Australia is the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2009. This was an important and influential step in the path to an equatorial country, free of racism and racially discriminatory acts.
To change the long term repercussions of the mental, physical and emotional trauma caused by the Stolen Generation as well as the racism that continues to be prominent today, there are a number of things to do. Firstly, victims of the stolen generation, such as the children, relatives and friends should be given therapy provided to them by the government, as well as services in place to find the ‘lost’ families and children. Although the lives of those involved can’t be given back, the stigma towards Aboriginal people needs to be dissolved by teaching citizens of all races and age at school about Aboriginal culture and history. This will ensure that racism will become less prominent in the future, and Aboriginal children can connect to their culture through school as well as out of school. In the long term, there must be legislation in place to stop the removal of Aboriginal children and to ensure that there are Aboriginal representatives in Parliament so that there is an equality in decision making. Laws in the country have to be supported by both parties. |
Children of the Stolen Generation were put in schools where they were taught to read and write in British English, and were expected to speak English at all times. They were punished if they were found to be speaking their native language.
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Aboriginal Children in front of one of the camps they were put in during the 'Assimilation' into white society.
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These were just some of the children from the camps who were attempted to be assimilated into 'White' society.
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