Follow Sydney Ideas
After the Apology: sorry means you don't do it again
Why has removal of Indigenous children risen, 20 years on?
Indigenous children are still being removed from their families at increasing rates, despite the clear links to negative child health and education outcomes. Why and how is this still happening?
The 2008 Apology to Australia's Indigenous peoples by then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was lauded as a defining moment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history.
Unfortunately, since then, and in the last two decades after the watershed Bringing them Home Report, the Australian Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their families, removals of Indigenous children from their families have risen in Australia.
In response to聽these alarming statistics and聽the聽detrimental impact on聽the聽children,听their families and communities,听Professor聽Larissa Behrendt聽made a landmark documentary exploring the continued practice of child removal and the community responses.1
Central to聽the聽story is聽the聽plight of an extraordinary group of women, Grand Mothers Against Removal, who are not only taking on聽the聽system that has historically removed Indigenous children from their families, but changing it.
We had a special screening, followed by a panel聽discussion with filmmaker, barrister and Professor Larissa Behrendt and special guests on the following night.
The聽University of Sydney鈥檚 Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Strategy and Services), Professor聽Lisa Jackson聽Pulver聽AM, moderated the聽conversation with Professor Behrent and Boe Rambaldini, Director of the University鈥檚 Poche Centre for Indigenous Heath.
This event was held on Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 November at the University of Sydney.
The speakers
is a Eualeyai/Kamillaroi woman. She is聽the聽Professor of Law and Director of Research at聽the聽Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning at聽the聽University of Technology, Sydney. She is admitted to聽the聽Supreme Court of聽the聽ACT and NSW as a barrister.
Larissa is a Land Commissioner at聽the聽Land and Environment Court and聽the聽Alternate Chair of聽the聽Serious Offenders Review Board, a member of聽the聽Academy of Social Sciences of Australia and a founding member of聽the聽Australian Academy of Law. She is聽the聽Chair of聽the聽Humanities and Creative Arts panel of聽the聽Australian Research Council College of Experts. She is聽the聽author of several books on Indigenous legal issues.
She won聽the聽2002 David Uniapon Award and a 2005 Commonwealth Writer鈥檚 Prize for her novel, Home. Her latest novel, Legacy, is due for release in October this year. Larissa is a board member of聽the聽Museum of Contemporary Art and Tranby Aboriginal College and a Director of聽the聽Bangarra Dance聽Theatre. She was named 2009 NAIDOC Person of聽the聽Year.
Boe Rambaldini a proud Bundjalung man and Director of the in the Sydney Medical School. Boe, born in Grafton in northern NSW, has attained extensive experience and skills from over thirty years of experience at a senior management level in Local, State and Federal governments, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, NSWALC and the NGO sector.
Prior to his appointment at the University of Sydney, Boe worked in the NSW Centre for Oral Health Strategy (NSW Ministry of Health) and was responsible for the Aboriginal portfolio, managing the Aboriginal NGO Grant funds to Aboriginal Medical Services.聽
Lisa鈥檚 traditional roots lie in a beautiful, forested region of south western NSW, but her own life has been lived in urban Sydney, mostly on聽the聽Land of聽the聽Gadigal People. Lisa was appointed to聽the聽role of Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Indigenous Services and Strategy at the聽University of Sydney in 2018. Her previous role was Pro-Vice-Chancellor Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership, Pro-Vice Chancellor Engagement and Provost Parramatta South at Western Sydney University.
Her career has progressed through positions as epidemiologist, public health officer, postgraduate health and medical student, registered nurse and counsellor. She was the聽Inaugural Chair of Indigenous Health at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) School of Public Health and Community Medicine for 13 years.
Lisa鈥檚 background has made her acutely aware of聽the聽lack of available data to identify underlying issues in聽the聽health for Aboriginal people who today usually reside in聽the聽large metropolitan and urban centres of Australia. Lisa is working to provide that data. She achieves this through extensive and comprehensive networks, research and an impressive list of credits to her name, including presentations, publications and conference papers, public domain reports, journal articles, leadership, teaching and research.
[1] Source:聽After The Apology (Film) - Creative Spirits, retrieved from聽,听After the Apology
Event image: Press still via