Debra A. Hocking - Speaking My Truth

More documents

Recommendations

Info

made sense to me. The racist comments hurled at me as a child now hadmeaning. I began another journey.During the next twenty years I reclaimed my identity, learnt about my culture,and learnt of the injustices my people had endured. It became apparent thatthe actions carried out by the authorities were deliberately aimed at splittingAboriginal families in Tasmania and, as I learnt, it happened Australia-wide.The policies differed in each state and territory, but they all led to the samething—a nation-wide attempt to assimilate Aboriginal people into the widercommunity and destroy our culture. It was a blatant attempt at genocide.Like many others of the Stolen Generations, as the media now calls us, I wasdetermined that no matter how hard they tried and how much I was beaten,I would not forget about my family or my identity. I realized that I was one ofmany thousands of children who were taken, many of whom never returned.How could any country do that to their children?For some time bitterness and anger consumed me, but I learnt to rise aboveit. I have seen so often in Aboriginal communities that the transfer of angerfrom older to younger can be devastating. Past injustices, inflicted mostlyby governments, have led us into destructive and addictive patterns ofbehaviour. Many stay that way for the rest of their lives. But do we haveto keep living this way? What of our children? Can we make sure that ourchildren do not suffer from the effects of these atrocities as we have done?As I came to know our Elders, I saw how some of them are working to answerthis situation. One Elder taught me much about compassion. This lady hadall six of her children taken from her, and some she never saw for the rest ofher life. Although she had endured the most terrible of racist experiences, shemaintained that we needed to live in the present and look to the future. Shetreated everyone as equals, regardless of race, religion, or creed. She won therespect of many white Tasmanians and profoundly altered attitudes towardAboriginal people.I realized that there are good people in this world and in our ownneighborhoods. If we are going to bring change, they need to be enlisted.So, when I was asked in 2000 to join a national committee, which broughttogether Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people working for healing andjustice for the Stolen Generations, I accepted gladly.The National Sorry Day Committee had been launched in 1998. It aimed to offerthe Australian community the chance to apologize for the tragedies causedby the removal policies at a time when the federal government refused to doso. National Sorry Day is commemorated on May 26 th every year, and around286 | Debra A. Hocking
the nation events are held to bring recognition and understanding of a part ofAustralia’s history that many Australians still do not comprehend.My job was to set up a committee in Tasmania and plan an event for theupcoming May 26 th . This was achieved relatively quickly, and before weknew it, we had interest from all over the state. Enquiries came from schools,health centres, and government agencies, and many community groupswere keen to be involved. We planned an event on our community land andinvited people from all walks of life. We had speakers and performers fromboth the Aboriginal community and the wider community. Nothing likeit had been done before, and it was very successful. It sent a clear messageto our state premier that many people were aware of the cruelties of ourhistory and wished to atone for them. It was an awakening moment for manyTasmanians who heard the stories of Stolen Generations Survivors for thefirst time.After the first Sorry Day, the Journey of Healing was launched to offer all whohad apologized the chance to take part in healing the wounds. We continuedplanning events year after year, speaking in schools at all academic levels. Werealized that what we had started could enable Tasmanians to look truthfullyat our shared history, and this was vital if we were to build a new relationship.Two years ago our state premier died of lung cancer while in office. His dyingwish to his successor was that he should do justice to the Stolen Generationsof Tasmania by offering compensation. His successor has fulfilled this wish,and the legislation for a compensation scheme has now been approved byboth Houses of our State Parliament. Tasmania is the first state to do so, andits action is thereby challenging other states and the federal government todo likewise for their Stolen Generations Survivors. I have no doubt that thework we have done, year in and year out, has helped our premiers and ourParliament to take this step.Through my involvement in these matters, I have developed a keen interestin human rights, particularly social justice for Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslanders. As a child I was powerless, but as an adult I am not. To repair selfesteemand self-worth can be incredibly hard, but I decided I was not preparedto remain a victim all my life. I wanted to work for both healing and justice.This meant that I was ready for leadership. In 2006, I was elected IndigenousChair of the National Sorry Day Committee. Sadly, over the previous year wehad seen much divisiveness within the committee. This centred on the issueof an apology to the Stolen Generations from the federal government. Somefelt that our main task was pressuring the government to offer this apology.Others felt that to keep asking for an apology from a cold-hearted governmentFrom Truth to Reconciliation | 287
Page 2 and 3: Debra Hocking is from Tasmania, an
Page 4 and 5: elationship as brothers and sisters
Page 6 and 7: About this time, my real family mov
Page 8 and 9: and my siblings. I remembered the n
Page 12 and 13: was demeaning, and we needed to get
Page 15: Section 4Journey of the Spirit

Debra A. Hocking - Speaking My Truth

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?