Date: 13 February 2008

Sorry Day

Montessori Schools from around Australia commemorated Sorry Day and took the opportunity to join the apology to Australia’s Indigenous Peoples and to honour Indigenous culture.

February 13th was a day that the students of Elonera Montessori School and their parents and teachers wanted acknowledged. The Aboriginal flag flew high along with the excitement of the morning and both saluted the whole school as they gathered to watch the coverage and listen to the Prime Minister’s words. A lasting image was the sight of the children from Children’s House walking, almost reverently, into the High School’s darkened viewing room, waving the Aboriginal flags they had created that morning. They seemed to feel the magic of the occasion. Both groups sat huddled together, and varied emotions, grief, sadness, relief and joy could be felt in the room. The remainder of the morning was set aside to give students the opportunity to leave their own impression of the day for current and future generations. Debbra Hoskins, one of our assistants in Children’s House who is now currently undergoing Montessori Training, shared of her Indigenous heritage by designing a Sorry Day mural and overseeing its completion by the school community. Each child and teacher contributed his/her handprint to the mural that captures something of the hope and unity radiating from the spirit of the historic day. Appropriately, the mural was officially launched in March where it formed the backdrop to our Harmony Day celebrations.

Nyingari, from Canberra Montessori School, took part in the response to the apology made by Tom Calma, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, in the Members’ Hall. She was one of six children representing ‘the future’, each of whom carried a framed photograph of an ancestor who had been taken away. While Nyingari carried a photo of her Nanna (who is alive and well), she was representing several generations on each side of her family. Following Tom Calma’s response, she made a presentation of a gift to Kevin Rudd.

Extract from Apology to Australia’s Indigenous Peoples

Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, 13 February 2008, 9:00am

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.

Full speech can be downloaded from
http://www.aph.gov.au/house/Rudd_Speech.pdf

Newspaper Article: Wollongong and Northern Leader, 21 Feb 2008, p. 3