Article: The History of the Stolen Generations Flashcards
Who were the Stolen Generations?
Indigenous people in Australia taken from their families from the late 1800s to the 1970s.
Who was involved in removing the children of the Stolen Generations?
Australian governement agencies and church missions.
How often could the parents visit their children?
Often, they were not permitted to visit them at all.
Was it common? How many communities had children taken?
Nearly every Aborignal family was affected in some way.
Why were the children removed?
The Australian governement believed they would have a better life with white families.
What do some people suggest was the real goal of removing the children?
To make them develop “Anglo” values and “work habits” so they could be useful employees.
To stop parents passing on their language and culture.
Were all aboriginal children targeted?
No. It was mainly children of “mixed blood”.
What did the government (the Aborginial Protections Boards) believe at the time?
They believed the children would eventually merge with the non-indigenous population.
What kind of education did the removed children receive?
Often, it was a of a lower standard compared to that of white Australian children.
Sometimes, they got not education at all.
What did they do during the day if they weren’t getting educated?
In Western Australia, many were trained as farm labourers and domestic servants. By age 14, they were sent out to work.
Were all the children’s experiences the same?
No. Some had a terrible time and others did not.
When removed, how was their access to their culture and language supported?
It wasn’t. They were encouraged to become like westerners.
What age children were removed?
Children as young as 3.
What kind of problems could they face in their new “homes”.
Abuse, loss of language and culture,
How were the the removed children disadvantaged as they moved into adulthood?
They were more likely: To get into trouble with the police. To have mental health problems. To be abused. To reject their own aboriginal culture. Take part in aboriginal community activities.
