From Elly, Year 6 teacher

History

We have been learning about the fight for equal rights in Australia. To coincide with Reconciliation Week we have focused on aboriginal history and treatment since colonisation. We wrote multiple small pieces from both the perspective of Indigenous and non-indigenous people and learned about the different perspectives and events of this country’s past.

Our ongoing research and writing also carried forward into our writing sessions. We have been looking into the effect of voice and how word choice and organisation change the flow and meaning of our piece. We wrote in the voice of Simon Wonga and his cousin William Barak, two Aboriginal men who changed their voice to persuade the British for Aboriginal rights, mostly focusing on the Aboriginals “Protection Act”.

We also wrote our own version of the Apology (Kevin Rudd, 2008). While some of us wrote in the voice of Kevin Rudd ( The Australian prime minister of the time), others wrote in their own voice as a student. Here are a few examples of different voices.

Writing in different voices

Apology by Ishaan

As the Australian Prime Minister, I say sorry. Sorry to the stolen generations, sorry to the spirits, sorry to the elders, and most of all to the entire first nations population in general. You have been mistreated. You have suffered genocide. You have suffered such loss. As the Australian Prime Minister I say sorry to all the First Nations lands across this country, for the pure wrongdoing of the past. Let us step together, Indigenous and non-indigenous, for a fair, non-discriminative future. Nation beside nation. Our blood doesn’t matter. Not at all! That was a misinterpretation of the past. This is the first step toward a brighter future.

To the Indigenous Peoples of Australia by Lam

As a non-Indigenous person, I, nor my relatives, can relate to the incredible suffering that Indigenous peoples had, and still continue to go through. I cannot speak of it on a deep, personal level. The only thing I can do is acknowledge, and apologise on behalf of all Australians residing in your Country. That is what I’m here for today.

I’m sorry for your lost land. Sorry for your sacred ground that was deemed “Terra Nullius” by European settlers. Sorry for the disrespect in the way they treated your Country, your resources, and you, the traditional owners of the land we now gratefully live on. Sorry for the way you were not considered human, only mere obstacles or burdens that most of the Europeans were glad to be rid of.

I’m sorry for the Stolen Generations. Sorry for the Half-Caste Act - a transparent mask for the open genocide that ensued. Sorry for your children, unjustly bound to a lifetime of camouflaging into a community that was exclusive, believing in disgraceful untruths about their own community, compelled into unwilling servitude. Sorry for all of the mothers and fathers that were unable to free them of that fate.

I’m sorry for the pretences of care and safety that you received. Sorry for the so-called “Protection Board’s” dictatorship that controlled your every move and denied every small request. Sorry for the injustice that arose every time you stood up for yourself, however peacefully.

But most of all, I’m sorry for the ignorance that people continue to show. We can’t change the past. But what we can change is the future. I know this piece cannot be revolutionary. But what it can do is bring attention to the great losses that Indigenous peoples have endured, at least for the person reading this. Raising awareness. One step at a time.

Dear Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders by Elsa

I am sorry.

On behalf of the government, the people and anyone else who may have harmed you. They stole your land, children and your happiness. I'm sorry that no one ever apologised for such horrible things.

This is what I’m here to do today. Horrible people took your whole world. It went from butterflies and rainbows stripped to black and white. You were judged, mistreated and so much more. Walking miles and miles to hear the words No! The words I'm sorry replay in my head nonstop. The last words I have for you are I’m sorry for the mistreatment, the names and even more.

I'm sorry.

Dear Aboriginal people of this land by Bella

We all deeply apologise for our negative intentions, the genocide, the stolen generation and more horrible events.

We know sorry isn’t enough for we have wronged you. If I could go back in time, I would stand with you like John Green who helped set up Coranderrk with Simon Wonga.

Always was always will be Aboriginal land.

Sorry.

Dear First Nations people of Victoria by Cormac

We are sorry.

We are sorry for all our actions that we did in the past.

We are sorry for how we treated the people at Coranderrk.

We are sorry for Mr Neville's actions on the half caste in Western Australia.

We are sorry for the stolen generation.

We are sorry for stopping John Green from returning to Coranderrk.

We are sorry for all the government’s mistakes and wrongs.

We are sorry for mass killing your race from 60,000 to only 2,000 in Victoria.

We are sorry for every thing we did to your children.

We are sorry for not letting you see your children.

We are sorry for lying about you not wanting your children.

We are sorry for not letting William Barak to see his son in hospital when he was about to die.

We are sorry.

Wonga by Ishaan

Dear protection board,

We have been suffering for many years, our clans' numbers are dropping, and we are soon to face extinction. With a moderately sized piece of land our race will be able to step out of the way of the Great British Empire. With a piece of land our entire clan will be capable of evolving to the way of the “New World”. For instance, with temporary British cooperation we will attempt to set up farming, deburdening you from feeding us. With our ancient ways of drinking water sourced from the land a piece of land next to the Yarra would be generous. With a piece of land our whole community will be ever-grateful to the Famous British Empire. A piece of land for peace.

Archie Roach - Took The Children Away

By Samuel

This song told us about the stolen generation and how the white people took the Aboriginal children away. It explained how parents were powerless. Throughout the song I felt teary and so sad at how powerless the parents were in stopping their children being taken. Listening to how the mother cried and the father trying to defend his family washed me with a feeling of empathy.

By Harshul

The repetition of the lyrics, ‘they took the children away’ really evoked emotion. Songs are effective as the listener is feeling the same emotions as the singer as the tone creates that feeling.

By Hilary

When Archie Roach read his picture book and then sang the lyrics to, ‘They Took The Children Away,’ you could hear the emotion and pain in his voice.

By Haya

The lyrics to his song made me feel like I was there with him. I was upset. You can imagine the pain with words like, ’The promises they couldn’t keep, fencing us like sheep’.

Response to watching the program First Australians

By Xuka

I didn't realise what the government did to the half cast Aboriginal Australians and how they just said "sorry" after everything they did. The video made me feel sad and a little bit disappointed in what the government did and how they apologised. I feel sad because of the amount of children that have been taken away from their families at a very young age and how they were treated. I used to think that the mothers would have a say on what happened to their children,but they didn't.

By Sena

I didn't realise that kids with one white parent and one black parent as well as Indigenous Australians used to be a "disgrace" and that they were taken away from their families and treated in the wrong way. That made me feel really bad for them and sad because I didn't realise how bad the past was and what an impact it had on kids who had two different coloured parents. Now I think that everyone except white people were mistreated, forced to do things they didn't want to and even locked up.

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