Impact Of The Assimilation Policy On The Stolen Generations

The period of the Stolen Generation was a tough time for many. The Stolen Generations were the children of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who were removed from their families by the Australian government. Removing children from their families was official government policy in Australia between 1905-1969 (Australian Museum, 2004). The stolen generation impacted heavily upon the indigenous children and their families in a variety of different ways.

The struggle for Indigenous rights impacted upon the Stolen Generation. After the British explorers arrived in Australia, they didn't understand the indigenous population. When they were establishing settlements, the explorers did not acknowledge the indigenous rights. Sir Richard Bourke proclaimed that the indigenous Australians were legally not eligible to sell or acquire land. This was the law until 1992 ( Smith. R, 2011). In 1967 a campaign was held to try and

The Assimilation Policy failed its aim of improving the lives of Indigenous Australians by placing them into white society. This was because white society did not accept Indigenous people as equals, even after indigenous people’s efforts to live like white society. The Assimilation Policy was a huge contributor to the Stolen Generations, this was because the Australian government made it a law to take Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander descent children and move them into white society. Children taken from their parents were taught to reject their Indigenous heritage, and made to adopt white culture. Their names were changed, and they were forbidden to speak their traditional language. Some were adopted by white families, and many were placed in institutions, where abuse and neglect were common. (Behrendt, L. 2012) Some Indigenous Families are still affected to this