I have been referred a member of the stolen generation for a victim's compensation report. fascinating. She is smart and sharp and identifies proudly as a Aboriginal Elder "born under a tree."
Her story is almost the stuff the movies. She was too light skinned to stay with her full blood dark skinned aboriginal mother. Her mother had been raped by the local white landowner. The baby (lets call her Dora) was fostered to a local related whit(ish) family where she was fondled and eventually attacked by her "uncle." He didn't quite penetrate her but he gave it a good go. After running away (she was smart) she was reforstered but then sent to Parramatta girls school. The girls there were systematically sold for sex by the doctor in charge. A small group removed at night to be abused by old men. Dora told me she worked out that if she put a pillow in her bed and hid in the cupboard the doctor would move onto the next girl instead. the cupboard became her favourite place.
She trained as a domestic but soon became pregnant (is anyone surprised at this point?) we will uncover the rest of her life next time.
Imagine what this kind of abuse does to a whole community. As i see daily abuse like this stays with families for generations. The children often suffer their mother's trauma and they in turn pass on alcohol abuse. mental illness and its effects. What happens when this pattern belongs to whole towns? when every one around has a ma or grandma who can tell the same story? how long will it take to reconstruct whole communities? that is what we all said sorry for and what we all struggle to try to heal.
She is truly an elder. she is kind and wise and strong. i hope i get to learn from her while i write her story.
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