Us Taken-Away Kids, a magazine commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the ‘Bringing them home’ report. The magazine represents artwork and stories from members of the ‘Stolen Generations’ throughout Australia, and serves as a testament to the resilience of Aboriginal people and their ability to triumph in the face of despair.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma said: “While there has been some improvements since the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission’s (HREOC) ‘Bringing them home’ report was released in 1997, including the Indigenous child placement principle in child protection, greater funding for organisations supporting ‘Stolen Generations’ members and a national Sorry Day, we still need to do so much more.”
Title: ‘Leaving the Mission’, 2007
Symbolism: Browns, reds, yellows and black represent the people, land, sun and the mission. White represents the spiritual connection between the people and the land.
Story: Leaving the missionaries and the Mission, to find family and to commence nursing in mainstream in 1967- the year of the referendum for Aboriginal recognition and citizenship. Footprints signify return to family, people and homeland.
Excerpt from ‘Us taken-away kids’, by Alec Kruger and Gerard Waterford, Alone on the soaks, IAD Press, 2007...
"As a child I had no mother’s arms to hold me. No father to lead me into the world. Us taken- away kids only had each other. All of us damaged and too young to know what to do. We had strangers standing over us. Some were nice and did the best they could. But many were just cruel nasty types. We were flogged often. We learnt to shut up and keep our eyes to the ground, for fear of being singled out and punished. We lived in dread of being sent away again where we could be even worse off. Many of us grew up hard and tough. Others were explosive and angry. A lot grew up just struggling to cope at all. They found their peace in other institutions or alcohol. Most of us learnt how to occupy a small space and avoid anything that looked like trouble. We had few ideas about relationships. No one showed us how to be lovers or parents. How to feel safe loving someone when that risked them being taken away and leaving us alone again. Everyone and everything we loved was taken away from us kids."
The ‘Us Taken-Away Kids’ magazine is available online or can be ordered from the HREOC publications officer on 02 9284 9600 or here.
The Body Shop Australia has been campaigning for reconciliation since 1998.
Adam Valvasori - Values Manager
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