Thursday 13 February marked the 12th anniversary of the Apology to the Stolen Generations for the decades long government practice of removing Aboriginal children from their families and from their country.
We believe this anniversary should be a period for reflection and acknowledging the trauma in our history and how we can take meaningful steps towards reconciliation and reckoning. YWCA Canberra is committed to acknowledging this history and will continue to amplify the voices and work of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their right to determine their futures.
Our Fairley Early Childhood Service took this opportunity to start the service’s reconciliation journey by hosting an afternoon tea with Adam Duncan, a Biripi man and early childhood teacher. Adam conducted an Acknowledgement of Country in language to commemorate this event, explained the significance of the Apology and told the children a story of bushfire and wildfire.
The team at Fairley also added a framed copy of the National Apology to the service.