The Apology - 17th anniversary

 17th anniversary of the Apology.

I acknowledge my great-uncle whose song about his own experiences as a stolen kid became an anthem for Stolen Gens mob, nationwide - https://youtu.be/v3ytJioxKzI?si=Or-y9Ws6kkjccU7n

I acknowledge my grandmother, whose story as a stolen kid at The Bungalow and Jay Creek was preserved in the Between Two Worlds exhibition - https://territorystories.nt.gov.au/10070/702243

I acknowledge my great-grandmother Alice, who fought hard to keep the connections of family alive by riding her camel hundreds of kms to see her stolen kids - https://alicespringsnews.com.au/.../31/bungalow-days-matter/

I acknowledge my grandfather, his siblings, my dad, uncles and aunties, and their cousins, who were all born under the NT wardship acts and thus had their movements. marriages and dwellings controlled and documented by the state. Not officially "stolen" per se, but the reality is that because they were all wards, there was little real choice people had but to adhere to what the authorities were imposing on them.

Finally though, I acknowledge my great-grandmother Mary, her mother Alethe (Alice, Angelina) and the fact that these two were essentially "ground zero" for studies that became the basis of stolen generation policy due to my now known great-great-grandfather's research work with Baldwin Spencer. Even in 2025, how does one grapple with that legacy? I'd argue that claiming it proudly and uncritically while erasing these two Arrernte women is not the answer - https://blackfeministranter.blogspot.com/.../the-question...

Always remember, so it never happens again.