Dear Mr Neville, former Chief Protector of Aborigines in Western Australia,
I’m writing to you with some rather unpleasant news. The cause which you devoted your life to, the extinction of Australian first nations people through policies of child removal and assimilation, has been disproven fully scientifically, ethically and practically. The theory of eugenics, which you used to justify the superiority of the “white race’, has been thoroughly debunked by modern research which shows that there is no such biological hierachy. The majority of people in the world today would regard you as an extreme bigot because most of us think all humans are equal and valuable, regardless of ability, race, religion or sexual preference. In addition, most people today regard your actions as Chief Protector as morally reprehensible- in fact you are now regarded as one of the main perpetrators of the “stolen generation”, the term most Australians use to describe the policy of governments which you implemented. As a result of being forcibly separated from their parents and culture, first nations Austualians are still suffering from intergenerational trauma, reduced lifespan, and poor physical and mental health. As a result, the nation you called Australia has become poorer as a whole; economically, culturally and environmentally. We have spent millions of dollars, lost whole languages and traditions, and ignored indigenous knowledge about how to live sustainably with this land. In saying this I do not mean to belittle or berate you. Every person is a product of their culture and at the time the ideas and customs which fuelled your passionate implementation of this attempted genocide were widespread and popular. Although you might have been complicit in this tragedy through indifference or ignorance rather than malevolence or ill-will, I would like to ask you to reflect on the damage your actions have caused and take some responsibility for this. The Prime Minister of Australia formally recognised and apologised to the the stolen generations in Federal Parliament in 2007 and I hope you may find it in your heart to do the same. On a positive note, many modern ancestors of the stolen generation are now learning about their heritage and are proudly identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. They are working hard to relearn past customs and reinvigorate traditional knowledge to the benefit of all Australians. Like me, I hope you can also find respect and love for their resilience and wisdom.
Dear Mr Neville, former Chief Protector of Aborigines in Western Australia,
I’m writing to you with some rather unpleasant news. The cause which you devoted your life to, the extinction of Australian first nations people through policies of child removal and assimilation, has been disproven fully scientifically, ethically and practically. The theory of eugenics, which you used to justify the superiority of the “white race’, has been thoroughly debunked by modern research which shows that there is no such biological hierachy. The majority of people in the world today would regard you as an extreme bigot because most of us think all humans are equal and valuable, regardless of ability, race, religion or sexual preference. In addition, most people today regard your actions as Chief Protector as morally reprehensible- in fact you are now regarded as one of the main perpetrators of the “stolen generation”, the term most Australians use to describe the policy of governments which you implemented. As a result of being forcibly separated from their parents and culture, first nations Austualians are still suffering from intergenerational trauma, reduced lifespan, and poor physical and mental health. As a result, the nation you called Australia has become poorer as a whole; economically, culturally and environmentally. We have spent millions of dollars, lost whole languages and traditions, and ignored indigenous knowledge about how to live sustainably with this land. In saying this I do not mean to belittle or berate you. Every person is a product of their culture and at the time the ideas and customs which fuelled your passionate implementation of this attempted genocide were widespread and popular. Although you might have been complicit in this tragedy through indifference or ignorance rather than malevolence or ill-will, I would like to ask you to reflect on the damage your actions have caused and take some responsibility for this. The Prime Minister of Australia formally recognised and apologised to the the stolen generations in Federal Parliament in 2007 and I hope you may find it in your heart to do the same. On a positive note, many modern ancestors of the stolen generation are now learning about their heritage and are proudly identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. They are working hard to relearn past customs and reinvigorate traditional knowledge to the benefit of all Australians. Like me, I hope you can also find respect and love for their resilience and wisdom.