Bringing-Them-Home-Report-Web

It must be acknowledged that, no matter how well intentioned the motives of the Churchwere in its involvement in separating children from their families, it’s complicity hascontributed to the dislocation of the people concerned, and therefore to their loss of land,language, and identity.It is evident that the present high rate of continuing social dislocation and Aboriginalimprisonment is direct result of the separation of children from their families in which theChurch was complicit (Anglican Church of Australia, Diocese of Perth submission 410 page2).In retrospect, however, Baptist Churches of Western Australia acknowledges that its effortsto reach out with Christian compassion, practical care and spiritual help were unfortunatelycombined with an unconscious complicity with the Government policy of assimilation of‘part-Aboriginal’ people. While rightly deploring the degrading impact of Europeansettlement upon Aboriginal peoples, and taking no part in the removal of children, BaptistChurches of Western Australia failed to provide a clear prophetic voice to challenge theGovernment policies of the day and the general community philosophy of racial superiority.We failed to publicly proclaim, in respect of Aboriginal and Islander peoples, the Biblicalview of the intrinsic worth of all people as individuals made in God’s image (BaptistChurches of Western Australia submission 674 page 2).The Australian Association of Social Workers also expressed its regrets.We know and sincerely regret that social workers, and unqualified workers known as ‘SocialWorkers’, were actively involved in the removal of aboriginal children from their familieseven up to relatively recent times. As far as we are aware, our professional association hasnot made any comment or apology about the involvement of social workers in the separationof families which has had such a dramatic impact on aboriginal communities …The Association acknowledges that social workers were involved in the forced separation ofAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families in every state and territoryin Australia during this century (Australian Association of Social Workers submission 721pages 1 and 2).Doomadgee Inc is the successor of the Aborigines Inland Mission at Doomadgee inQueensland.… we are sensitive to the perception of some Doomadgee Aborigines that missionaries weresometimes too firm in their administration of discipline, or too assertive in their presentationof the Christian gospel. To these Aborigines we express our sincere apologies. The desire ofall the missionaries was to achieve the very best outcomes for Aborigines and anythingperceived by them to fall short of this is a matter of deep regret to us (Doomadgee (Inc)submission 78 page 8).Acknowledgment and apology – Churches and othersRecommendation 6: That churches and other non-government agencies whichplayed a role in the administration of the laws and policies under whichIndigenous children were forcibly removed acknowledge that role and inconsultation with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission makesuch formal apologies and participate in such commemorations as may bedetermined.