To wonder why Australia's 'stolen generation' isn't taught in schools or well known?

[workingdilemma]

I was in oz a decade or so ago, and learny of the stolen generation. Aboriginal children who were taken out of their families, put with white families and ein an effort to remove their culture. A lot of people also say part of this was a more shocking plan to eventually 'breed out' the aboriginal people.

This 'strategy' continued at least in part till the 1970s - so shockingly recently.

In australia they have in recent years attempted to attone in some manner by apologising to the aboriginal people, but i find it incredible that over here or elsewhere, very few people know about this.

I was interested to read the ww2 thread just now and it made me wonder again about why this isn't discussed and taught in schools.

Aibu to think this episode of history should be discussed more globally as a historical mistake (and more)?

I thought anyone who was vaguely interested in history did know tbh. Not through school, but because it's something you'd come across if history interests you. Most of my history knowledge as a teen came from reading a reference in a novel, or an historical novel itself, and then going off and finding the actual facts.
What I find incredibly odd in English schools is how little detail is paid to Ireland, which considering how far back the history goes with English interference, and the massive impact it's had on both England and the UK, and especially when I was at school the ongoing troubles, makes me think it's deliberate. Certainly in the 80's/90's apart from a brief mention of the potato famine everything I learnt about it was out of school.

The stolen generations has been shown to be a myth. Have you got a link for that? Certainly happened in Canada and I know survivors, many of them.

That's a good take lurked.
But what has always gobsmacked me is how lil old England managed to forge ahead, dragging the western world behind it and taking us from poverty to riches in a few hundred years.
The Romans, for example, had a much longer empire, but when it fell, everyone went back to square one.
The English (British) has bootstrapped everyone. Fair enough, the African, Indian and Chinese may take a while to catch up, but they will eventually.
And it's down to us. we should be proud of that

We should be proud of colonialism? Ummmmm, where to start?

Yes Pratchett we should be proud of it. That's exactly what I said.

er..except I didn't

Totally confused now. And the link for the stolen generations being a fallacy?

Dodged - Did you mean we should be proud of kickstarting the industrial revolution?

I apologise lurking if you took my op as being 'divisive' - if it came across in that way it wasn't intended. I

I am interested to know why when so much has been written about it you come down on the side of it being a myth though. I've read some people's studies which state that the common ideas about it aren't accurate - which may be true - but even so I still think it was an utter tragedy.

Abbott voter, then?

@Pratchett.
why would I have a link ? I live there, have read extensively and never met anyone who was stolen.

Do you want me to go and find a link ?
I will do so if you ask. but then again
why don't you do it for yourself ?

do you understand the phrase 'confirmation bias' ??

www.abc.net.au/news/2008-02-15/37108

@shadowstar
yes indeed. there were many regrettable policies, wars, etc along the way.
but my kids will live till they are 90
their teeth will not fall out and their bones will not get brittle. They may even see a cure for cancer

If I had lived in Pratchetts halcyon heaven, half of them would not have survived the cot

are you proud of the fact that you kept people prisoner on the islands in the west indies for 350 years and brutalised them with the backing of your churches, your royal family, governments and general populace? makes you proud to be british.

Because I know a great deal about the Canadian history of removing First Nations children and the only people denying the severity and evil of what was done in that case are fuck-wits.

I'm going to assume you aren't a fuck-wit but I don't live in Australia so possibly you would know where the evidence is...

You've never met anyone stolen. I've met lots of residential school survivors but then I know a great deal of First Nations people. Lots of whom are in that generation. I also teach and facilitate on First Nations land so talking about history and culture is normal. Do you know lots of Aboriginal Australians well, of that generation, who would feel happy and comfortable to talk to you about something that traumatic?

So that's alright then, your kids will be fine, sod the rest of the world? @ Pratchett not sure why I'm even engaging!

@ Pratchett
Keep a clear head, and avoid confirmation bias. That's the best advice I have for you.

your words leak it

I rather suspect Dodged reads Andrew Bolt columns and subscribes to the Windschuttle "school" of history.... So in direct conflict with perhaps 90% of other Aboriginal writers/historians....

@degustib
lol. you got me there. I do indeed read Andrew Bolt

I don't know how I would have issues with confirmation bias in this case. I came to Canada with NO idea of the history. I thought Canada was all politeness, Mounties, tea and the UN. I was horrified to learn about what had happened here. It went against everything I believed.

Possibly I could have confirmation bias WRT assuming that Australian history in this area is probably similar. I have a feeling you would be a denier here as well, though.

@Pratchett
don't use the word denier. too many associations with denying the holocaust. that is very cheap and it makes you look sanctimonious.
which I know you are not

Well, my judgy pants are well and truly hoiked.

Degust you made my morning! However I think Dodged would support the Australia First party and attend Reclaim Australia rallies with that comment.

How would you know if you met someone that was of the stolen generation? It's not as if they have to wear a badge and bring it up in conversation.

Woah. Seriously how offensive to deny what people have been through. The to boast that Britain has improved the world by doing all the awful shit we did. Wtf.