Australia's Aboriginal People in Canberra For Their Apology

February 11, 2008

As we reported at the end of last month, Australia's new prime minister, Kevin Rudd, is set to apologize to Australia's Aboriginal population for past mistreatments.

The Aborigines are arriving in Canberra now for the Feb. 13 convening of Parliament. The pictures of their arrival are as striking as the event is historic.

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29 Comments

sweetrae80 5 years 13 weeks

I'm glad that the Aussie govt apologized but there is still work to be done. Instances of police brutality against aboriginal people are still frequent and unrecognized. The country still has a strong undercurrent of racism that must be recognized and dealt with.

minaminamina 5 years 14 weeks

Apologies are only victories for people who don't understand their history. Clinton's "apology" for slavery was insulting - it further infantilized the black community by perpetuating MORE stereotypes about black culture. How? People today STILL think Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves, etc. etc. EDUCATION is a proper apology, not pithy words. I'm sure the Australian government is being very self-congratulatory right now, but that doesn't mean that aborigines will EVER be protected by the law of the land or against racism, since they haven't been up to this very day.

trésjolie 5 years 14 weeks

As a continuation of kia's comment I would like to point out that the current Government in Australia was just recently sworn in, and it ran for office with the promise of apologizing to the aborigines and change/help their societies. So, they've done step one, and hopefully they won't stop until they've done the whole job.

kia 5 years 14 weeks

Nothing can be done to make up for wronged acts in the past. This is pretty significant given the John Howard administration's refusal to approach this subject as recently as 2000. Does it mean that everything will be better following the apology? No. But you take every little victory you can get and work towards the next one.

tiabia 5 years 14 weeks

While apologies for past mistreatments are nice...that does NOTHING to speak for the population at large that still harbor unwarranted hate for a culture they REFUSE to understand. I agree with minaminamina!!!As Aboriginals refuse to assimilate, they will continue to be an "outcasted" and highly "targeted" group!!!

tiabia 5 years 14 weeks

While apologies for past mistreatments are nice...that does NOTHING to speak for the population at large that still harbor unwarranted hate for a culture they REFUSE to understand. I agree with minaminamina!!! As Aboriginals refuse to assimilate, they will continue to be an "outcasted" and highly "targeted" group!!!

CaterpillarGirl 5 years 14 weeks

To quote Bill Cosby" African-Americans need to start taking advantage of opportunities and stop blaming white people for their problems......"(jesse Jackson) Bill is saying you will find an equal opportunity with superior effort. Bill is saying we may not be responsible for being down, but must be so for getting up""Do your best against the odds. Don't fight degradation with self-degradation, or you must not self- destruction."

piper23 5 years 14 weeks

and if Clinton, whom I personally can't stand, had not apologized for slavery people would say - no one's ever apologized to us for slavery. So really what's the point? either you passify some people or you tick off even more people.

piper23 5 years 14 weeks

CaterpillarGirl 5 years 14 weeks

To quote Bill Cosby " African-Americans need to start taking advantage of opportunities and stop blaming white people for their problems......" (jesse Jackson) Bill is saying you will find an equal opportunity with superior effort. Bill is saying we may not be responsible for being down, but must be so for getting up" "Do your best against the odds. Don't fight degradation with self-degradation, or you must not self- destruction."

minaminamina 5 years 14 weeks

Because of the legality of it, President Clinton had to sort-of apologize for slavery in America. When he apologized, did the black community suddenly become self-sufficient and independent? Did we become equal to whites in every way? Were the false stereotypes of "welfare queens" and dangerous black men struck down? Did affirmative action become unnecessary? Did inner city schools receive equal funding and attention as suburban schools? Did small business thrive in the black community? Did gentrification stop, did white people let blacks into their apartment complexes and neighborhoods? Yeah, an apology is really great. An apology to Native American's worked just as well - half of the native languages have been wiped out because indigenous Americans were beaten and sexually abused in boarding schools as children and told to speak ONLY English or they'd receive no food, thanks to the American government. Three cheers for half-hearted apologies from people who don't give a sh** TO a country that doesn't give a sh**.

minaminamina 5 years 14 weeks

pequeña 5 years 14 weeks

I hope this will lead to a change of attitude towards the comminuty. Aborigines are still marginalized and there are a lot of problems that need to be solved, just like what happens with the Native Americans. This is a statement, and it's good they're doing it, but I agree with nyaradzom2001, this won't restore all the damage done in 300 years. On a different subject, those pictures are very beautiful.

Advah 5 years 14 weeks

I agree that an apology won't change the situation immediately, a lot of things need to be done. But I think it's a very important first step, in having the government at least officially admitting they made mistakes. You can say whatever you want about them being hypocritical (I guess they are), but it's something they'd previously always refused to do.

Advah 5 years 14 weeks

I agree that an apology won't change the situation immediately, a lot of things need to be done.But I think it's a very important first step, in having the government at least officially admitting they made mistakes. You can say whatever you want about them being hypocritical (I guess they are), but it's something they'd previously always refused to do.

nyaradzom2001 5 years 14 weeks

And this apology is goign to pull the aborigines out of their current neglected state as a people of Australia?? THey should try and improve their lot, what the heck does an apology do for those who are poor?

tdamji 5 years 14 weeks

oh, and of course the aborigines speak english. the problem is that not enough of them (along with many indigenous peoples the world over) is that their own language isn't spoken enough and has been forgotten in so many ways.

tdamji 5 years 14 weeks

while i do think this is "too little, too late", it is pretty major that any government would take responsibility for anything, period - so for them to apologize is huge.

minaminamina 5 years 14 weeks

SO WHAT Late last year an aboriginal girl was gang raped by NINE white men, and the men were identified, arrested... and let go without charge. Now the girl is in a psych ward. Apologies are political tools, not sincere words - the Native Americans were apologized to also, but a little too late to restore the language, culture, and 25 million that had been systematically killed over the period of 300 years.

minaminamina 5 years 14 weeks

SOWHATLate last year an aboriginal girl was gang raped by NINE white men, and the men were identified, arrested... and let go without charge. Now the girl is in a psych ward. Apologies are political tools, not sincere words - the Native Americans were apologized to also, but a little too late to restore the language, culture, and 25 million that had been systematically killed over the period of 300 years.

JessNess 5 years 14 weeks

Aborigines know the English language. They are not an isolated culture. Actually they have been forced into the Australian culture

Jillness 5 years 14 weeks

I saw the picture of the word "sorry" in lights on the lawn. Do the aborignial people speak/read english??? Or is "sorry" more for the english speaking people, than for the actual aborignese themselves? Hopefully the apology isn't just a show. Hopefully the government's policies reflect this change in attitude as well.

Jillness 5 years 14 weeks

I saw the picture of the word "sorry" in lights on the lawn.Do the aborignial people speak/read english???Or is "sorry" more for the english speaking people, than for the actual aborignese themselves? Hopefully the apology isn't just a show. Hopefully the government's policies reflect this change in attitude as well.

Shopaholichunny 5 years 14 weeks

Link Love

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