Just saw this movie. http://www.amazon.com/Rabbit-Proof-Fence-Jason-Clarke/dp/B00005JLD4 It seems really sad. The children were apparently taken away from their natural parents and "assimilated" into white society by placing them in retraining settlements, where they were taught adjustments to "civilised" society. What happened to all the children in the settlements? And how many children were separated from their parents?
Lots of kids were stolen, I know of few who were, they're in their sixties now. Terrible history, big furore in Australia as the current Prime Minister flatly refuses to aplogise to this stolen generation whilst simultaneously seeking ( and getting) an apology from Japan for WW2 atrocities. The same Prime Minister who is George dubya's lap dog and who is also about to find himself voted OUT in a few long weeks. Rabbit Proof Fence, superb movie, when australian movies are good, they're bloody brilliant.
O.k I'll mention that to Harold and Merv next time I'm looking at them. Maybe not the same settlements you're thinking of but taken away, yes, alive yes!
Don't underestimate the fighting qualities and pride of the Kooris. Sadly, yes, way too much of their culture has been plundered but you'd also be surprised how much is retained and is alive and well.
Social services and adoption courts do this all the time, every day, by the thousands of kids. Baron Max
True, but its not for the color of their skin. Are the children forbidden to speak their language? Thats a good example though, the Protector of the Aborigines in the film, felt what he was doing was to help the people. The same girl (who walked 1500 miles home) also lost her daughter to the resettlement.
Yeah, it happened all over America too. To Native Americans http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlisle_Indian_Industrial_School and inner city children. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/orphan/ The Doctor we had in our town was 'bought' by a widow. He was only 2 so he doesn't know if he had brother or sisters on the train as well.
S.A.M: Yes. It's really sad that children lived in such squalor, that they had to be removed from parents who were unable to take care of them. By the way, did I ever tell you about my white relatives, 6 of whom were placed in an orphanage?
Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! That is so sad. What did they do with your black relatives?
You haven't seen the movie, have you? Obviously, you don't know what you're talking about. Many of the children removed had good, caring parents, and they did not live in "squalor". And at the places they were removed to, they were often forced into what amounted to slave labour. Many were also abused physically and/or mentally. You need to get an education.
Orleander: I didn't have any aboriginal relatives. All of my relatives who were taken away from their families were white, fair Aussie dinkums. But never let that get in the way of self-hating whites who love to criticise themselves. James: Yes, I've seen the movie. And it's exactly that... a movie! To take it as gospel truth is idiotic. But then again, bad whitey for rescuing children from squalor, and placing them in a community where they could get an education, have access to health care, and eventually find a career. Add to that, that many half-caste children were free from the bigoted opinions of 'full abbos'. Granted, some members of the white community were horribly prejudiced, but to pretend that prejudice against half-castes didn't exist in the aboriginal community in naivety. Hey, perhaps if we had another 'Stolen Generation' up north, we could stop all that child abuse, and improve the living conditions of the aboriginal population? After all, we all know what luxury the independent aboriginal communities up north live in today, huh James? It seems that whenever whitey is not present, things go to the shit.
Please re-read my previous post, where I corrected this misconception. Thye could substitute the bigotted opinions of full whites instead. Big advance there. I haven't said anything about "half-castes" (another racist term, by the way). Where do you get this stuff from? Clearly, you don't realise that stealing these children was a direct cause of child abuse. As I said, you need an education. Let's hope you get one at some point. Have you been to any community "up north"? Do you know anybody who has? You don't know what you're talking about.
