Stories of sorry, forgiveness and healing: an interview with Audrey Kinnear

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Five years ago a national inquiry in Australia published its report in relation to the practice of removing Aboriginal children from their families. This report found that between one in three and one in ten Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families and communities between 1910 and 1970. It found that most Indigenous families have been affected in one or more generations by the forcible removal of one or more children (Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission 1997, p.37). Those who were removed have come to be known in Australia as the ‘Stolen Generations’. Over the last five years there have been numerous responses to the Stolen Generations. One of these has been the establishment of the National Sorry Day Committee, of which Audrey Kinnear is the current Co-Chair. The following interview was conducted by Claire Ralfs and Suzy Stiles.