Shooting Stars is commemorating National Sorry Day across its sites by having thought-provoking conversations with its participants to acknowledge and reflect on the strength of the Stolen Generations Survivors and how important it is for all Australians to remember our history in order to build a stronger future.
Shooting Stars Regional Manager, Lowana Corley, spoke about the importance of non-Aboriginal staff and students taking the lead on this day.
“It's a very heavy day for Aboriginal people, so we're asking our non-Aboriginal colleagues to take the lead by posing the question to them ‘what are you doing to commemorate the day?’”.
At the newest Shooting Stars site, Kiara College, the students have come together to decorate paper hands to contribute to a visual display to remember family members who were part of the Stolen Generation. The symbolism of everyone holding hands and coming together is powerful in us commemorating not only our history, but our path towards a brighter future.
Corley contributed personal stories of her own to the students and staff, including the story of her family’s personal journey.
“My mother didn't know she had an older brother until she was about four years old. She went to Melville Island on the plane but could only wave at him through the plane window. This is quite a painful memory for her, as it wasn't until nearly ten years later that she finally got to meet him in person,” she said.
“That’s another element of National Sorry Day – that there are so many families that were kept apart”.
Shooting Stars places significant emphasis on strengthening participant’s connection to culture and identity, and important dates such as National Sorry Day provides a platform for us to do that. Each site commemorates and remembers in their own way, and we highly recommend that you do the same. If you’re looking for a good place to start, we recommend you watch the below video from The Healing Foundation on Intergenerational Trauma.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlqx8EYvRbQ&t=106s
