Wiradjuri elder Aunty June Murray, who grew up on a mission in Cowra and saw first-hand the heartache caused by the removal of relatives by the state, said the announcement by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had the potential to unite white and black Australia.
“We just have to wait and see where this will lead because it has been a long, hard road to get where we are now, but maybe it will be something of a turning point in our relations,” Mrs Murray said.
“I feel that we have to start building bridges now, and work together, and this could be the start.”
Mrs Murray said the power of one simple word, ‘sorry’, should not be underestimated in the quest for reconciliation between white and black Australia.
“Sorry has got to come first before reconciliation,” Mrs Murray said.
“How can we reconcile with each other if we can’t be sorry?”
Christine King, co-chair of the Stolen Generations Alliance, said an apology by the current government for the actions of previous governments would lay a foundation for the nation to heal.
“I think most people understand now that the apology is not about individual Australians taking responsibility for the actions of past generations,” Ms King said.
“It’s about the government taking responsibility for the policies of successive
governments that did enormous damage to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and our communities.”
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