Before we begin National Reconciliation Week, we acknowledge National Sorry Day.
National Sorry Day remembers and acknowledges the mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed from their families and communities, which we now know as ‘The Stolen Generations’.
Due to laws and policies made by Australian government’s, it’s estimated that as many as one in three Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families, affecting most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia.
The first National Sorry Day was held on 26 May 1998, one year after the Bringing Them Home report was tabled in Parliament. The Bringing Them Home report is a result of a Government Inquiry into the past policies which caused children to be removed from their families and communities in the 20th century.
In 2008 the Australian Government formally apologised to them and their families.
We all must accept and recognises the truth of our history and acknowledge that this is an ongoing source of intergenerational trauma for Aboriginal and Torres Islander peoples.
At SMFNC, we are committed to working in partnership with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players and supporters to provide a culturally safe and inclusive Club.
Information is adapted from Reconciliation Australia and The Healing Foundation.
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