The skywritten “sorry” that constitutes our header is from the National Day of Healing in Australia. Go on and read this comprehensive description of the apology-necessitating horrors perpetrated upon Australia’s Aboriginal inhabitants — including systematically ripping children from their families, forced “assimilation” of Aboriginal people of mixed descent, attempted eradication of Native language and more. (This is not at all familiar to us citizens of the United States in any way, no way, no how.)
The National Day of Healing takes place every February 13th, on the anniversary of the Australian Parliament’s unanimous vote to apologize to the indigenous peoples. Its antecedent, “Sorry Day” takes place every May 26th, the anniversary of the release of a 1997 report outlining the impact of the wrenching of children from their parents. Moral: You can never apologize enough.
There are Flickr groups devoted to “Australia says Sorry” images and zillions of powerful “Sorry Day” images. Below is one from the 2008 Day of Healing; this skywriting over Sydney was photographed by a commercial skipper and yacht photographer named Michael Davies.
I am trying to imagine those words above the Golden Gate Bridge (near Susan’s home) or the Brooklyn Bridge (near mine) and not succeeding.
Here is Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s address to Parliament:
I move:
That today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.
We reflect on their past mistreatment.
We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations – this blemished chapter in our nation’s history.
The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia’s history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.
We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.
We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.
For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.
To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.
And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.
We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation.
For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written.
We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.
A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.
A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.
A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed.
A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.
A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia.
No words can make up for years of racism, the expulsion of people from their homes, child abuse and focused attempts to destroy families. Words do not have infinite power. But our job here is to look at apologies, and this one takes responsibility, does not use the weaselly passive voice (“mistakes were made”), explicitly names the offenses toward which the apology is directed, acknowledges that the sins committed had a huge and lasting impact on the sinned-against, does not blame only certain politicians or the Other Guy’s party (it calls out “successive Parliaments and governments”) and uses the important word “sorry” (instead of, say “regret,” which is less pointed and ownership-takey). Acknowledging the vast difference between Aboriginal peoples and those who came after them in “life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity” is a big deal. Now actions have to follow the words.
(This post is by Marjorie but it says David because Marjorie hadn’t figured out how to log in as herself yet. She apologizes for being technologically putrid.)
Trackbacks/Pingbacks