Today, May 26, is National Sorry Day. Sorry Day is an annual event held to remember and commemorate the mistreatment of Australia’s Indigenous communities.
It was first held in 1998 following the release of the Bringing Them Home Report, which focused on the forced removal of children from their families over a period spanning most of the 20th century.
The policy of child removal was designed to assimilate Indigenous children into mainstream Australian culture. These children are known as members of the Stolen Generations. The consequences of these removals have been far-reaching and profound, often credited as having contributed significantly to a loss of cultural identity among Indigenous people, and to continuing dysfunction in many Indigenous communities.
Importantly, National Sorry Day is an opportunity to do more than acknowledge the mistakes of the past. In reflecting on a policy that was based on the elimination of difference Australia must take the opportunity for a genuine celebration of diversity and look for opportunities where Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians can work together to develop effective and sustainable policies and programs to empower Indigenous people and improve their social outcomes.