Impacts of Stolen Generations on Indigenous People

This article explores the history and impacts of the Stolen Generations on contemporary Indigenous people. It discusses the trauma, cultural loss, and the importance of the government's apology. The article also examines the implications of this history on social and community work.

Running head: STOLEN GENERATIONS
Stolen Generations
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

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Introduction
The history of the injustice perpetrated to the children of indigenous people elicits
various emotions. These emotions are usually those of sadness and grief. The stolen
generations refer to children who were alienated from their families by the white settlers.
This happened between 1910 and 1970 (Aldrich, 2017). The alienation of these children from
their parents was based on the belief that white is superior to black. Therefore, the stolen
generations were taken away on the basis of racial discrimination. The aim of alienating these
children from their parents was a plan to naturally eradicate the black people in a natural way.
The children would be taught to hate their roots and embrace the white culture. They would
be lied to that their parents were either dead or had abandoned them. These children were
immensely mistreated and abused. This history had various impacts on people. These impacts
are still being felt today. Upon discovering the great suffering that the policy had caused, the
government. people. The apology was a great way to start the healing process. This history
has also impacted community work. This assignment is going to focus the history of these
children. The impact of their history on the contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people are going to be addressed. The apology is also going to be addressed. In
addition, the paper will also focus on the implications of the stolen generations to the
community work
Impacts of the History of the Alienated Children
Between 1910-1970, children were forced to leave their homes. This was as a result of
various policies that were aimed at assimilating the black. This caused trauma and other
negative effects that are felt to date (Short, 2016). In order to understand the impact of the
history on the contemporary people, it is important to have a brief look at what exactly
happened. The removal of these children was based on an assimilation policy. This policy

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was based on a notorious belief that black is inferior to white. Therefore, it was done as a
measure to naturally get rid of the black population. Those who formulated the inhumane
policy believed that it was easier to assimilate children and not adults. This is because
children would be more receptive to the white culture.
This history still matters today. The effects were so great that they are felt by the
contemporary indigenous society. One of the impacts is trauma. During the assimilation,
there were numerous cases of abuse. There were various forms of abuse perpetrated against
the stolen generations. These include sexual abuse, physical abuse, and psychological abuse.
The effects are still felt today. Psychologists explain that some forms of abuse, such as sexual
abuse may have long-lasting traumatic effects on an individual. Therefore, the stolen
generations still suffer trauma in the modern day due to the ills perpetrated against them by
the white masters.
The other impact is that a significant portion of the stolen generations feels ashamed
of their indigenous culture. During the assimilation process, these children were taught to
disregard their own culture and instead adopt the white one. They were made to believe that
their own culture is retrogressive and was not worth learning. Due to this, most of them have
developed contempt for their own language and culture. In fact, most cannot communicate in
their original languages. Most of the stolen generations and their descendants do not have a
native language (Harrison, Burke and Clarke, 2018). They use English as their primary
language. There have also been great psychological effects that resulted from being separated
from their families. Most were told that their parents were either not alive or did not care
about them.
There have also been several impacts on the families where the stolen generations
came from. Most of these families are yet to heal from the sorrow of being separated from the

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offspring (Lydon, 2019). There have been numerous cases of parents dying of psychological
illnesses brought about by the loss of their children. Some of the parents have resulted in
harmful activities such as drinking alcohol. These harmful activities are ways of coping with
the loss. There exists evidence to show that the impact of the stolen generations was far-
reaching. This is because this history did not only affect the stolen generations but also their
families and their children. Therefore, the healing process must focus on ensuring that the
three groups are addressed. There exists evidence that there are heightened cases of
pathological illnesses among the three groups explained above. Most of these illnesses are
believed to have originated from psychological issues.
The Importance of the Apology
When the Australian government apologized, most of the affected members and their
families wept. It is without a doubt that an apology was a great way to start the healing
process for the affected parties. Most of the affected members say that they never thought that
such a moment would come. Therefore, it is true to conclude that an apology was a very
important move by the government. Although this is the case, it is important for the
government to carry out other appropriate actions. These include compensating the members
who were affected and repatriating them back to their roots. If this is not done, the apology
would only seem pretentious. This section will discuss the importance of the apology to the
indigenous people.
It is true to conclude that the apology did not solve most of the ills that the affected
person still suffers today. Although this is the case, the apology was very important in several
ways. First, it assured indigenous persons that the government still cares about them. In
addition, the words of the apology gave indigenous people hope that the government is ready
to address even other injustices that they face (Hamilton, 2017). It is also worth noting that

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the apology gave people hope on the possibility of the implementation of the Bring Them
Home Report. This report outlines the importance of ensuring that the stolen generations are
reunited with their family members and suggests some possible ways of doing so. Therefore,
although there are many ills that are yet to be addressed, the apology was a good move to
give the Indigenous people hope. There is a need faster action by the government before the
stolen generations become extremely few in number. This is because of the low life
expectancy among the indigenous people.
It is important to note that the grief and sadness of the stolen generations and the
indigenous people have not significantly reduced despite the apology. There are several
reasons for this. The main reason is that the government refuses to compensate for the stolen
generations and their families. In addition, the government seems to be reluctant to repatriate
the stolen generations. If action is not taken quickly, the stolen generation may greatly reduce
in number without their injustices being addressed. There are other issues that tend to make
the indigenous population even sadder despite the apology. These include the suspension of
the act on racial discrimination and the management of income policies (Price, 2015). Most
of the indigenous people argue that the government should not only be sorry through words.
It should demonstrate this through actions.
Due to the apology, the government built the national reconciliation memorial with
the aim of acknowledging the stolen generations. At the memorial site, most indigenous
people can be seen crying upon remembering what happened. The memorial is very
significant in the lives of indigenous persons. This is because the memorial shows that the
government now appreciates what happened to the stolen generations amounts to historical
injustice. This is a great step towards overcoming the denial that has always surrounded the
issue. The hope of the Indigenous persons is that more appropriate actions will be taken.

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Additional actions that would be most appropriate are those that are recommended in the take
them back home report.
Impact of the History of Alienated Children to Social Work
The alienation of the children has had several implications for social and community
work. The modern social professional must apply the concept of social justice when dealing
with clients who are Aboriginal. Using this approach helps in understanding the impacts that
colonization has had on the Aboriginal people. Colonization has taught the Aboriginal people
how to detach themselves from their traditional cultures and way of life. Despite this, these
indigenous people are not provided with a mechanism to cope with the pressure that comes as
a result of this detachment. Therefore, it is important for social work professions to use the
concept of social justice while dealing with such clients. When social workers use this
approach, it is possible for them to understand the very nature of the indigenous people. In
addition, they are able to detach themselves from the media or any other stereotypes about the
indigenous people. This would greatly contribute to ensuring the wellbeing of these clients.
Therefore, it would be true to conclude that the history of alienated children has had an
impact on community work.
It is the duty of social workers to look beyond the individual factors that influence the
status of a person. Instead, the social worker should ensure that they look at issues from a
broader perspective, that is, the social inequalities that exist. One of the ways that social
workers profession would be able to address the unique needs of indigenous persons is to
have extensive information concerning their history (Cole and Brooks, 2017). Therefore, it is
necessary for social workers to interact with the historical literature of the indigenous people.
If they do not do this, it will be impossible for them to offer the appropriate care. If they

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understand the history of the stolen generations, they will be better equipped to help the
clients overcome their sadness in an empathetic manner.
Social workers must take a very important role when it comes to encouraging
participation in the cultural activities and ceremonies of the indigenous people. It is important
to acknowledge that the aboriginal people still engage in traditional practices. It is also a good
move to appreciate the role of the alienated children in shaping the culture of the indigenous
persons. For instance, they engage in traditional rituals and healing processes. When in
school, social workers professionals do not learn much about the practices of indigenous
persons. It is usually not part of the theoretical approach of the curriculum. The main role of a
social worker is to effect positive change in the lives of their clients. It is very important for
them to appreciate the cultural values that the client holds. There exists extensive evidence to
show that cultural knowledge is important when carrying out social work in traditional
communities (Australian Association of Social Workers). In light of this, it appropriate for
social professionals to customize the profession in a manner that meets local needs.
Understanding what happened to alienated children plays a great role in understanding why
indigenous people do what they do.
Conclusion
The history of the alienated children has had various impacts on indigenous persons.
This history still has impacts on these people in contemporary society. It is important to
appreciate what exactly happened. The history of the alienated children took place between
1910 and 1970. It was founded on a notorious belief that the black race is inferior to the
white. Due to this, children were alienated from their families. The white people believed that
children would be more responsive to the white culture than the indigenous adults. What
followed in the timeframe specified above would be described as inhumane and catastrophic.

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The children who have become to be referred to as the stolen generations were lied to that
their parents were not alive or had left them alone. The impacts have been great. In the
modern day, the affected people still suffer from the grief and sadness of being separated
from their families. In addition, the parents to the stolen generations suffer psychologically
and most have either died or resulted in harmful practices such as alcohol abuse. In a nutshell,
the impacts are still felt by the contemporary indigenous people.
The apology made by the government concerning the stolen generations was
significant in several ways. First, it was a way of saying sorry due to the ills done to them.
This was a great move by the government. It was an illustration that the government cares
about the affairs of the indigenous people. It also showed that the government is no longer in
denial concerning the inhumane manner that it treated the stolen generations. The history of
the alienated children has had several impacts on community work. Since social work
professionals aim at improving the lives of their clients, it is important that they have the
appropriate information to help them do so. When it comes to community work, it is
important to understand the history of the alienated children. Since most persons practising
community work are not taught about the indigenous persons at school, it is important for
them to understand what happened to the alienated children. With this kind of understanding,
they would be better placed to help the affected people.

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References
Aldrich, H. (2017). The stolen generations group action: An alternative model to redress a
traumatic past. Precedent (Sydney, NSW), (141), 22.
Cole, A. J., & Brooks, E. (2017). Inclusive Indigenous Australian voices in the semiotic
landscape of the National Museum of Australia. Museums & Social Issues, 12(2),
126-139.
Hamilton, P. (2017). Sale of the century: memory and historical consciousness in Australia
(2nd ed). New York: Routledge.
Harrison, N., Burke, J., & Clarke, I. (2018). Stolen Generations: Teaching about the
Experiences of Trauma. Knowledge Cultures, 6(2), 51-63.
Home - AASW - Australian Association of Social Workers. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.aasw.asn.au/
Lydon, J. (2019). Photography and Critical Heritage: Australian Aboriginal Photographic
Archives and the Stolen Generations. The Public Historian, 41(1), 18-33.
Price, K. (2015). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education: An introduction to the
teaching profession (3rd ed). London: Cambridge University Press.
Short, D. (2016). Reconciliation and colonial power: Indigenous rights in Australia (3rd ed).
New York: Routledge.