Stolen Generations
Topic: Settler Colonialism: Native Peoples of America and Australia · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 6 "Displacing Indigenous Peoples"
Meaning
"Stolen Generations" is the name for native children in Australia who were forcibly taken from their Aboriginal families. This happened from the 1820s to the 1970s. Most of the children were of mixed native and European descent. The practice broke apart families and cut children off from their own culture.
Example
In 1995 a National Enquiry looked into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their families. It was followed by "National Sorry Day" on 26 May, a public apology for the children who had been "lost".
Don't confuse with
- Reservations (USA): reservations pushed whole native communities onto set pieces of land. The Stolen Generations were individual children taken away from their families.
Related concepts
- Indian Reorganisation Act
- Constitution Act 1982
- Great Australian Silence
- Multiculturalism in Australia
- Mabo case
- National Sorry Day