AboriginalTerritorians have today come together to mark 25 years sincethe landmark Going Home Conference was held in Darwin.
The1994 conference was the first to discuss, at anational level, strategies to assist withthe process of healing for the Stolen Generations - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders whose families had been forcibly separated by government authorities.
Theoutcomes of this conference were crucial to the Federal Governments decision toundertaken the historic National Inquiry into the Separation ofAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families, whichresulted in the 1997 Bringing ThemHome Report.
Thereport ultimately led to then Prime Minister Kevin Rudds historic apology tothe Stolen Generations in 2008.
The NorthernTerritory Stolen Generations Aboriginal Corporation, its members and invitedguests will today come together to pay tribute to the resilience and courage ofthose Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples whose lives have beenimpacted by the forced removal of children from their families.
Quotesattributable to Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Selena Uibo.
Todayis a day to pay tribute to the courageous Aboriginal Territorians who stood up25 years ago to right the injustices of the past.
TheGoing Home Conference in Darwin was a pivotal moment in the healing process formany members of the Stolen Generations.
Itwas the first time the awful stories of the forced removal of children from theirfamilies were told by those who lived it and acknowledged at a national level.
Thisconference began the process that culminated in the national apology from theFederal Government, a monumental moment in Australian history that was soimportant in the healing process for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanderpeople.
Itmay never have happened without the vision and commitment of this group ofbrave Territorians.
