Bringing them home
13. Stolen: Making the connections activity sheet
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The Bringing them home Report and Stolen are texts that differ stylistically – one being the report of a formal inquiry process, the other a play for performance. Even so, they are both texts that concern the history of removing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families. The Inquiry found that many people had shared or common experiences, and that the long-term effects of the removals were also often similar.
Part one – What did Indigenous peoples experience?
Listed below are some of the common experiences of those Indigenous children who were removed. Find an example from what you know of the characters in Stolen that relates to each of these.
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Common experiences mentioned in Bringing them home |
Character |
What happened to that character? |
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Discouraged from having contact with their family |
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Taught to reject Aborigines and Aboriginality |
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Conditions in the institutions were very harsh |
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Their education was often very basic |
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Excessive physical punishments |
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Authorities failed to care for and protect the children |
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Some found happiness |
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Part two: What were the long-term effects?
Listed below are some long-term effects the removals had on Indigenous people and communities. Again, these come from the submissions presented to the Inquiry. Find an example from Stolen that suggests or represents each of these listed effects.
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Long-term effects of removal |
Example in Stolen |
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Loss of the primary carer in infancy |
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Indigenous parenting skills were undermined |
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Loss of heritage |
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Delinquency and other behavioural problems |
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Racism |
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