#or the stolen generation in australia

[chernayawidow]

Indigenous Australians ARE BLACK. I’ve just come from tiktok after seeing lots of Americans say that First Nation people are not black. THERE ARE OTHER PLACES AND CULTURES IN THE WORLD OUTSIDE OF THE USA.

I myself am white, so if any Indigenous Australians are uncomfortable with me saying any of this please let me know and I’ll take it down. Or if any terms/information needs correction please please please let me know.

I have friends who are light skinned Indigenous and they should NOT have to defend their heritage against a country of ignorant fools. My primary example is Malakai and Missy from Heartbreak High, an AUSTRALIAN show, who are having their heritage erased because they’re not “black enough”. How the fuck are people saying that in 2023?

If your country cared enough to acknowledge the existence of others in the world, you would know that Indigenous Australians were subjected to the Stolen Generation. What’s that, you ask? Where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were stolen from their families by governments, churches and welfare bodies to be raised in institutions, fostered out or adopted by non-Indigenous families, as a way of white washing them and erasing their culture and heritage.

TW: Racism, Death/Murder, Abuse - sexual and physical - (not graphic but mentioned)

They were abused, killed and raped by white people, as well as being forced to have their children as a way of “breeding out the black”. So when you guys say “they’re not black enough”, it’s one of the most disgusting and insensitive things you can say. The amount of pain Indigenous Australians have suffered is astounding, and they’re finally getting some on-screen representation. But here come you Americans, just shitting all over them. African American representation is extremely low, now guess what? Indigenous Australian representation is even lower. To the point where you guys don’t even know they exist.

To this day, they experience systemic racism at the hands of government, and especially the police. Not only that, but Australia is still fighting to change the date of “Australia Day” so that it doesn’t fall on Invasion Day. They’re trying to reclaim land that is rightfully theirs, as well as protect and maintain the preservation of what little history they have left. So before you go shitting on the oldest and longest running Indigenous culture in the world, do your fucking research.

[innervoiceartblog]

15 years on from the National Apology to Stolen Generations, we continue to remember and acknowledge those who suffered as a result of past government policies of forced child removal and assimilation.

It is important, that as a nation, we commemorate this significant milestone, acknowledging the wrongs of the past, while reflecting on the work that still needs to be done to address the impacts of unresolved trauma.

[rockbottomwithashovel]

In Honour of Invasion Day <3 (/sarc)

I would like to be proud of my country. I want to celebrate the culture of mateship, siding with the underdog, telling the pollies to piss off and multicultural diversity... but how can I??

How can I be proud of my country when the day we celebrate the country is the very day that this nation got stolen from the 'traditional owners'. There's already a problem with that term, see, a lot of Aboriginal people (First Nation Aussies and Islanders) see it as they belong to the land, not vice versa. I would like to appreciate Kevin Rudd's apology speech back in 2008, but not much changed, so where's the apology in that??

The people who's land I am currently writing this on deserve better than being seen as "lesser". What people don't realize is that the racism in this country is far from gone. Did you know that the stolen generation legislation didn't stop being a thing until 1969? Sounds a long time ago, right? That was only 55 years ago. My mother is older than that. Let that sink in. There are 55 year old men and women out there who were stolen from their families and given to white people for some wankery of an excuse "so they can have a better life" more like so they can be "civilized" and assimilated to our culture which we deem correct and anyone who stands in the face gets murdered, thrown in jail or worse.

I would love to celebrate, crack open a tinny, play some cricket and sing waltzing fucking matilda but that's not right. I have no rights to celebrate when fellow Australians have little rights in general and are being put in jail left and right, beaten to a pulp and left to die in prisons. And of course their deaths get covered up. The police brutality in Australia is horrific because it's insidious (I'm about to write another post about this with statistics, so stay tuned). A lot of cops around here will let you off with a warning, chilled out... but that's my experience. As a white girl who can cry tears at her "mistakes". I remember once I talked myself out of a $200 on the spot fine for sneaking onto a train, said I lost my ticket and fake cried over it (shitty move, right? But to be fair, I couldn't afford the train ticket, let alone a fine). The officers were nice, gave me a warning. But how nice would they have been if I weren't white? I'd probably have been taken in to the station even if I genuinely had been crying, bought a ticket, and lost it.

There is so much fucking racism in this country. I remember being 10, disgusted as the class threw the new, Aboriginal kid under the bus for a missing toy in the class room. He didn't steal it. We found it months later. But the hell he got as the students and teachers blamed him for it? He moved schools (Darren, if you're reading this, I'm so fucking sorry for not doing more). This system is against them. And my country, my people, have the nerve to celebrate this culture on the day that marked genocide of people who were perfectly happy just living??

Sometimes I hate being white. It's an unfair advantage and I don't want anything to do with those colonizing aka land stealing genocidal bastards, but what the fuck is the point in having this privilege if I don't use it? If Indigenous people aren't getting heard then I'll stand with them, maybe this racist system will listen to a white girl.

(Final note, you're not punk if you don't fight the system, you're a poser, if you don't stand up for people who are dying you're an asshole, if you're part of a minority and let other minorities get squashes what the fuck is wrong with you, and last but not least, if you don't have an opinion on things like this, you might want to check your privilege.)

[mirrorofliterature]

does my city have issues? yes. do we have amazing tap water? yes.

[triumph-of-adaptation]

‘Killing Time’ by Julie Dowling

2003

1513 x 1815cm

Acrylic and oil on canvas.

Description:

An image showing John Howard with a hand full of American money in a balled fist as a heavy set farmer stands cutting tree roots of a Nyining (a spirit tree) with an ancestor or warrior sitting inside it.

“Later on I found out about the ancient middle eastern story of the prophet Isaiah who was murdered by Roman’s as he was hiding from persecution in the trunk of a tree.

This picture is about how John Howard as the elected prime minister of the colonial Australian state changed the anti-discrimination Act so he could use it against the Stolen Generations within the Native Title Act. Later he said that there was no genocide practiced in Australia.”

“I painted this in protest against his views and actions on First Nation Human Rights.”

[hyacinths-cottage]

While the allies were fighting against Hitler and his regime, who wanted a white blue eyed race, the church was erasing Indigenous cultures and taking Indigenous children from their families to westernise them (aka, to make them blue eyed). If you were against Hitler, you should be against the westernising of Indigenous cultures.

Both events in history should be taught as both events are atrocious.

[surelyucantbe]

coming from aus (an island in the middle of no where that no one cares about) to europe is insane like the vibe of just existing is so different day to day. there's snow on the mountains, everyone is talking about green energy non-stop, but i could also get on a train and in three hours i'd be in a country that has just elected a fascist government. Like. The UK, Spain, Portugal and Denmark are all here and aware of colonialism in a sort of abstract way but when you talk to any of these people about the actual effects of colonialism on the native people of colonised lands they're shocked and horrified - because despite the fact that they benefitted of the wealth of their periods of colonialism even now, they've been given a distance from it that America/Canada/Australia/South Africa/New Zealand and all the others aren't granted (and this isn't to say that the white people on these colonised lands engage with the atrocities committed in the past and today, but the degree of choice about whether or not to engage is extremely different). There's a lot of opportunity here and many countries are advanced welfare states but there are some elements of living that are so callous and seem almost cruel - like the fact that anyone can enter law school or a medical school in Germany and Switzerland and other places but actually becoming a lawyer or a doctor is almost prohibitively difficult. Like. The expectation and acclimatisation to people wasting thousands of dollars and years of their life on something that might not happen.

[zahri-melitor]

Wow. I mean I knew Captain Boomerang was an offensive stereotype, but I wasn’t expecting him to be an offensive stereotype on this many angles.

The worst aspect is I can’t quite peg how much of this is intentional characterisation and how much is layered outdated stereotypes.

*skims wiki*

Ok he’s SUPPOSED to be an offensive stereotype and they’re doing some of it very deliberately. Wonderful. I love that for us. Clearly he’s being pitched as an acceptable target.

The worst aspect is I can see the edges of some very insightful hard hitting commentary on a certain type of White Australian (term used very deliberately) but after being burned way too many times over the years by American properties I don’t trust it to be completely deliberate. Like yeah, he’s a racist yobbo, but it’s irritating me as there’s too much Hogan/Irwin roleplay and anytime a character leans into that my respect for those involved drops as it’s both easy mode and far too often, done wrong.

[nintendont2502]

This close to learning how to raise the dead so I can kick cook's smug colonising ass

[podcastnineandthreequarters]

Reeah and Jem continue with our Australian magical series, talking about history. Reeah has problems with fantasy and historical revisionism, both sisters detail our country's traumatic history, and Jem goes on a bandicoot tangent.

[akajustmerry]

that report on Zionists abducting blonde Palestinian children to be "adopted" by Zionists makes me physically shake. I'm an Aboriginal person with extended family who were abducted by the "Australian" government decades ago and put up for "adoption" by whites as part of what is now known as the Stolen Generations. All Aboriginal children, but especially those who were lighter in features, were the target of this genocidal assimilation policy. The colonial legacy of Aboriginal child abduction on my peoples is an intergenerational abyss of cultural loss, the destruction of bloodlines, despair and grief that is still felt by every First Nations person in the country today. To be alive and witness another Indigenous people experience the same destruction by practically the same hand drowns me in anguish. Fuck settler colonial projects. Death to all of them. They're all the fucking same. Land Back for every First Nations peoples living under occupation, from Palestine to so-called Australia.

[2ndsun1]

Was reading The Age last night and ca m e across the article on Alfred Deakin - a massive fucking racist and someone who actively pursued eugenics policies. We do not learn enough Australian history in schools (in Australia in case anyone is confused) because I had no idea that this guy was a three-time PM and, it seems from what I read in the article, fairly instrumental in the Federation.

Fuck Howard and the History Wars, and fuck the Great Australian Silence too.

[queerasfact]

Uncle Jack Charles

“...there are many Aboriginal people who are gay, both men and women, and ... we’re so proud we’ve made our mark and stamped our ground. ... us gay and Indigenous mob, we’re fringe dwellers twice over, and that’s what gives us great strength.”

Bunurong and Wiradjuri man Uncle Jack Charles was taken from his mother at just four months old as part of the Australian government policy of forcibly assimilating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. These children are now known as the Stolen Generation.

Raised in a Salvation Army boys’ home, and then by a white foster family, Jack grew up believing he was an orphan, and had no idea he was Aboriginal until he was 17. When he left his foster home at 17 to seek out his birth family, his foster mother called the police. When Jack was finally able to connect with his family, he described himself as being born again in his Aboriginality.

Uncle Jack had his first acting role at 17, in a community production of African-American playwright Lorraine Hansberry’s Raisin in the Sun. He went on the become a stalwart of Indigenous theatre in Australia, and in 1971, co-founded the country’s first Indigenous theatre group, Nindethana, which achieved international acclaim.

Throughout his life, Uncle Jack dealt with homelessness and heroin addiction, and spent time in jail for theft. As a burglar, he deliberated targeted wealthy Melbourne neighbourhoods, saying later "I robbed as rent collection for stolen Aboriginal land!"

Having experienced the prison system himself, Uncle Jack became a tireless advocate for young incarcerated men, especially Indigenous men. In 2010, he starred in a one-man show called Jack Charlves v The Crown, where he explored his life, and his struggles with a government bureaucracy that said a man with a criminal record couldn’t be allowed to mentor prisoners.

Uncle Jack was openly gay, although romance was never a big part of his life. He described giving the Welcome to Country at Melbourne’s pride event, Midsumma, as one of his most cherished duties.

Uncle Jack passed away on 13 September 2022.

Keep an eye on this blog throughout the week as we continue highlighting queer Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture for NAIDOC Week.

[Image: Uncle Jack holding his record Son of Mine]

[draakart]

Stand in Solidarity!

As the ongoing genocide rages in Palestine, us Australians must not forget what this country was built upon.

Just as Israel is built on the stolen land and graves of the Palestinians, so too is Australia built on the stolen land and graves of the First Nations.

There is nothing to celebrate for in genocide.

Here is a list of Invasion Day Rallies. Please march in solidarity with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Peoples this Friday.

More resources below.

Always Was, Always Will Be.

Donate:

Pay The Rent

Awesome Black Box's non-comprehensive list of ways to Pay the Rent.

Learn More:

A Conspiracy of Silence, Qld's frontier killing times - Timothy Bottoms

Massacre Recollections :: Elder Stories of the Frontier Wars in FNQ

The Stolen Generation

Frontier wars

Colonial Front Massacre Map

If you have any additional resources or funds that aren't listed, let me know and I will endeavor to add them on.

[aceoffangirls]

Really disappointed in my country rn. Australia likes to act like its better than the rest of the world sometimes, compare ourselves to the shit politics in countries like the USA and UK but we are not. Australia is a very racist country, a lot of may not see but the truth came out during this referendum. My heart goes out to all First Nations Australians, you should not have to put up this.

There are some reminders for everyone:

Australia was only colonised in 1788 and we only became one nation in 1901. The First Nations people of Australia have been here for over 65,000 years. They have been here longer than some of the great wonders of the world like the pyramids.

The First Nations people of Australia where not included in the census and be counted in the constitution in 1967

The Stolen Generation only ended around 1969 with the continuing impacts being felt today.

The government only apologised for their actions in 2008

We continue to not listen to the First Nations people and destroy their sacred sites,

[f1version]

Congratulations! Your works are amazing! You totally deserved this. Can i please request a headcannons about a secret reliationship between mick schumacher and a female driver?

KISSING IN SECRET ★ MSC47

pairing: mick schumacher x merc driver!reader ( she/her ) word count: 1679 warnings: mentions of misogyny !!!

2k celebration ★ general masterlist

Love comes easy to you and Mick—friends for too long, eager to make up for the time lost. What’s hard is the nature of your relationship; secrecy protecting your peace.

It begins at a pub in Austin, 2021. You were celebrating your first win for Mercedes, and even though his result was far from good, Mick decided to tag along. Then, all it took was a couple of shots, a bit of dancing, and a lonely corner to blur the lines of friendship and fall on each other’s lips. 

A week of tension, anxiety, and avoidance later, you were falling asleep in his arms, heavy breathing and soft touches all over your body.

Now your life is based on clandestine meetings, brushing fingers or stolen kisses, and a well put illusion of friendship. 

And no one ever thought much about your closeness, not until Mick moved to Mercedes in 2023. 

When people saw Mercedes’ star driver sharing so closely with the new guy—one whose performance didn’t leave people’s mouths,—they prayed for a big story. By the time Australia rolled by, the PR team requested distance while the cameras were on. 

And it wasn't as if these types of requests were foreign to you; misogyny was a thing after all, but you were never in love with George, or Lewis, or Alex, or Lance, or anyone but Mick. It was frustrating, but it didn't change a lot of things—especially because Mick was a reserve driver.

Of course, the topic would make it into your conversations: 

“Do you think it would be a disaster? I mean going public.” Mick asked almost out of nowhere. You were lying on his chest, freshly showered after a disappointing Austrian GP. “Maybe. It will most likely follow us forever.” You said, and he sighed, “Do you think the team would be okay with it?” “I think they care about us enough.”

There were stories about this. Drivers within the same teams having such a strong relationship (let it be romantic or platonic, who knows) that they destroy not only their’s but the team’s trust. 

Both of you believe Lewis knows. Your only evidence being the small pep talk he gave you moments before his last race in the sport, in 2022. Something about being selfish, about how this sport will always judge, so you might as well take what you want.

You wanted everything. To be selfish, to take your time, to figure everything out first, but also to just be reckless. You didn’t tell him that; you just expressed your gratitude.

The European arm makes it a bit easier. Motorhomes are used, and hotel rooms become unnecessary. It’s as simple as walking into a room and not caring about avoiding people in the hallway; your only excuse is your well-known friendship. 

You love spending nights laughing, kissing, crying, and everything in between. 

You were reckless, and learned to be as careful as you needed after the George incident™

It happened in Belgium; the race and debrief ending hours ago. You were in your room, boyfriend sneaking in to talk about the race, which ended in a very lovely make-out session. And that’s when (clueless) George decided to knock on your door. 

Mick ran to your closet, making a mess of your race suits to be able to close the door. You, absolutely terrified of the Paddock’s Gossip Girl, threw a blanket over your body, taking a deep breath before facing George’s comments of: “You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” and “Also hit by a truck,” and “Need help with the suits?” 

You rolled your eyes and had him complain about the car with you for forty-seven minutes. Mick could barely feel his legs after that one. 

At some point, the team starts talking. More about Mick having a crush than anything—especially since he doesn't deny it. But it’s mostly a joke; no one takes it too seriously until that teasing reaches Toto’s ears. 

For a second, you were ready to be called to his office and hear him talk about how he supported whoever you chose to love, but that if someone or something was making you uncomfortable, you must tell him. 

You had always been grateful for those talks. In the end, you knew they were there because of how ruthless the media had been in 2020, after your first dating rumors with a driver—with George, out of all people, your teammate then and your teammate now. George who had (and has) a girlfriend. It had been an awful sophomore season, to say the least.

This was different, though. This was not the media making up things; this was his own team talking about his reserve driver having a crush on his driver. This could be a different story. 

Here’s the thing: You had never heard the teasing in person, you knew of it because of Mick. You spent nights laughing at it together, making up responses he could give to hard launch your relationship. They never got out of the coziness of your bed, but it was fun. 

That particular day wasn’t Mick gossiping, that day you were there, and it caught you off guard. A good off-guard, you were ready to laugh it off. 

But Toto was also there, mistaking your surprise for discomfort. And so you weren’t called to his office, you stood next to him during a 20-minute talk on professionalism, respect, and boundaries.

You were grateful, not knowing where that joke could end up… But still, you and Mick laughed the whole night. 

Also, I would be lying if I said it didn’t set off an alarm, bringing to the table a thought you had been trying to avoid: the consequences of public. The need for security.

Consequences mean a lot to people, especially in your sport. A driver’s health could be destroyed by not acknowledging them after all.

For you, consequences meant having the media hang on to it forever to diminish your work. It means being called names, be harassed by fans. Means being accused of taking advantage of your power. It could even mean closing doors to other female drivers because misogyny is a thing.

For Mick, it means another reason for his place in Mercedes to be questioned. “Who knows how long they have been dating?” “She and his last name gave him a place.” It means being portrayed as an exploiter, his relationship reduced to an unethical plan to get back on track. Means being praised at your expense.

But there are pros. There’s a necessity to continue changing people’s minds, to be happy, selfish, and own it.

Summer break gets in the way of those conversations though...

Breaks are your favorite part of the year (as a couple). You either stay in Switzerland or avoid the so-called “hard launch islands,” where drivers pretend obliviousness towards snapping pictures of them and their partners.

(Sebastian Vettel gave it the name by the way)

“What if we soft launch?” You asked one morning, scrolling through Pinterest and looking at all the ways a soft launch could happen. Mick choked on his drink, coughing a bit before answering, “I’m so sorry, babe, but what?” “Hear me out! We can have people know we are in a relationship, but they don't have to know it’s us yet. It can be a years-long soft launch if we want.” 

Mick stared at you for a whole minute, smirk following it. He thought it was brilliant, laughing while trying to properly kiss you. 

“We have to tell PR, tho.”

Two weeks later, you called on a meeting with PR, lawyers, and Toto, they had no idea what would be discussed. 

Toto's eyes went wide as he saw you and Mick enter the room together, and everyone followed his motion after you briefly explained the situation.

Your PR manager spoke first, “I won't lie and tell you it’s going to be easy; both of you understand how cruel the media is, but I also don’t think it will be as hard as we imagine... if you go public, of course.”

Then Toto started talking about how, to some extent, he understood your worries. How “People will talk sh*t all the time; you need to unconditionally support each other so it doesn’t kill you.” He gave the support talk and visited a couple of logistical questions.

Five days later, Mick had soft-launched his girlfriend, and five weeks after that, you had a boyfriend. 

Eventually, you told some friends (those who didn’t know already.) 

George was 100% not surprised. He grins and shouts, "Knew it!” and suggests a double date with him and Carmen. (To that plan, other couples are added—Alex, Lance, Esteban, etc.)

It turns out, with the help of your team and the correct people, everything becomes easier. From interacting in front of the cameras to booking rooms.

One of your favorite things is the teasing your friends/colleagues give Mick after you score a podium. He starts giggling and muttering about how proud he is of you, cheeks turning pink and eyes unable to leave you.

Mick loves sitting next to you during debriefing, letting you play with his hand under the table when anxiety strikes. 

It feels good. Not to be so secret around the paddock. 

“You know I love you, right?” “Yeah, but I love you more.” “Okay, competitive!”

Sometimes you want everyone to know. Surprise the world with Mick being the guy on your Instagram, and Mick feeling the need to shout in everyone’s faces that his girlfriend wasn't the model they speculated to be.

The third year of your relationship, 2024, is the hardest. There are eyes on you all season, commentary becomes stronger as you fight with Max on track, and so rumors of your relationship with Mick arise. 

Mick hates everything being said about you and eventually can’t hold back the need to be loud about it. And so do you. 

Both of you want to be selfish. Take whatever you want out of this sport. Who cares what people say.