Every 26 May in Australia, National Sorry Day reminds the colonist-descended people of the nation to remember the mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
During the 20th century, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ children were forcibly removed from their families to be “assimilated” into white Australian culture. They are known as the “Stolen Generations”.
It took several Australian government administrations coming and going before an apology was officially offered to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in 2008 actions are still being undertaken to this day to repair the damage caused by tearing native families apart.
National Sorry Day is a day to acknowledge the strength of Stolen Generations Survivors and reflect on how Australians can all play a part in the healing process for the people and nation. While this date carries great significance for the Stolen Generations and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, it is also commemorated by Australians right around the country.
Indigenous health is a priority for Gippsland PHN. You can read our Priority Issues Paper on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at https://gphn.org.au/resources/ and also the Gippsland PHN Health Needs Assessment 2022-2025 at https://gphn.org.au/what-we-do/health-planning-research-and-evaluation/population-health/our-priorities/
We thank the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community of Gippsland for their wisdom, direction and input into the development of this Reconciliation Action Plan. In friendship and partnership, we look forward to bringing this plan to life so that it’s more than just words on a page.
