A collaboration of Indigenous voices gathered in Perth to discuss solutions on the impacts of intergenerational trauma stemming from forced removal policies.
There
are currently 20,421 indigenous children in out of home care, representing 37.3
per cent of the out of home care population. Since Kevin Rudd’s apology to
Stolen Generation survivors, the rate of forcible children has increased
massively.
Whilst
there are concerns that children being placed in out of home care may experience
the same loss of identity and connection to family, country and culture, this
should not be cited as a second Stolen Generation.
“Healing is part of life and continues through death and
into life again. It occurs throughout a person’s life journey as well as across
generations”, said
Helen Milroy, Professor at the University of Western Australia and Commissioner
for the National Mental Health Commission, when speaking at the National Indigenous Social and Emotional Wellbeing Forum in Perth.
“Healing is not just about recovering what has been lost or repairing what has been broken. It is about embracing our life force to create a new and vibrant fabric that keeps us grounded and connected, wraps us in warmth and love and gives us the joy of seeing what we have created,” said Helen.
The four-day conference, run by Akolade in partnership with Yokai and Two Point Co, focuses on the wider issues relating to social and emotional wellbeing and mental health in Indigenous communities. Tuesday 29 October, kicked off with a pre-conference focused on supporting Stolen Generations survivors.
Indigenous
Elders and community leaders from different walks of life and different parts
of Australia shared the message that something needs to be done. The impact of
previous forced removal policies are impacting today’s younger generations, and
Australia’s seeing higher child removal rates than ever as a result.
The
impact of intergenerational trauma is profound and growing, and if nothing is done
it will continue to tear families and communities apart.
Maisie
Austin, Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Territory Stolen Generations
Aboriginal Corporation, highlighted the ongoing impacts of forcible removals on
Stolen Generations survivors. In order to help survivors of Stolen Generations and
their families heal, and stop ongoing cycles of negativity, intergenerational
trauma needs to be effectively addressed. It is important that the impacts of
forcible removal on families and communities are fully understood in
order to find ways forward.
“It’s
important to address the impacts that past forcible removal policies are having
on today’s younger generations, and to ensure history isn’t forgotten or
repeated,” Austin said. Governments, communities and organisations need to
collaborate and share knowledge and resources to address these issues.
Intergenerational trauma is a growing problem, which can sometimes lead to
different issues, such as family breakdowns, resulting in children being placed in out-of-home care.
The remaining days of the conference will see
further discussions on
breaking down the stigma and shame attached to mental illness in Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander communities, vital to opening the conversation and
enabling better access to services. With cases of Indigenous suicide increasing
at an alarming rate, Australia urgently needs to rethink the services currently
being offered and implement strategies to increase Social and Emotional
Wellbeing.
If individuals and
communities can work together and better understand the different constructs of
mental health, then a holistic approach to social and emotional wellbeing with
culturally inclusive services may be better accessed. It’s important that everyone
works together to build trust in services and start the conversation on mental
health, because mental health is everyone’s business.
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Written by: Mimmie Wilhelmson
Mimmie grew up in Sweden and first came to Australia as a backpacker after high school. After travelling around the country for two years she returned to Europe and pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism in London. But the longing for Australia and the sun became too strong. After having worked for some time in the media industry, Mimmie decided to make a change and swap the news for conferences. She now gets to do what she loves the most, meeting new people and keep learning about cultures and issues while producing conferences on current topics.