The Tears of Strangers, Stan Grant (By Wafica Keddeh)

The Tears of Strangers: a family memoir by Stan Grant takes the reader back to Stan’s hard and ugly childhood. Stan explains his personal dilemma as an Aboriginal man, now successful in a white society. Unlike many memories by other Authors which may tend to be one sided or lenient, Stan’s testimony is objective and honest. Stan’s book goes through many subjects and issues that were main parts of Stan’s life, as well as relevant to other Aboriginal people. A part that we can all sympathies to and many Aboriginal people have gone though and suffered from is the Child Welfare Act, which is talked about in chapter 2.

The 1939 Child Welfare Act gave the Aboriginal Welfare Board the power to seize any Aboriginal child who is thought to be neglected or uncontrollable. The Act bought fear to Stan’s mothers as well as many other Aboriginal mothers and families. Stan’s mothers poem, which is recalled in on page 41, chapter 2, in regards to the Welfare Act and is very powerful and meaningful. The poem tells the pain of those years bought on Stan’s family, which was probably the same with other Aboriginal families.

The welfare’s in town!
The welfare’s in town!
How fast the world gets around.

First they go to the schools,
to check the rolls and find
the fools who stay away;
‘That just won’t do,’ we hear them say.
‘Maybe we’ll send the kids away.’

They go to our homes.
Don’t knock, just walk in.
‘Show me the clothes for
the children,’ they’d say.
But there’s not many clothes
When you don’t get no pay.

‘Where’s the food?’
‘What do they eat?’
‘Show me the beds.’
‘Where are the sheets?’
‘We will report this when the
Welfare Board meets . . . ‘

The poem above tells the story of the stolen generation through its simple wording and short sentences, painting a picture for the reader. In a few short paragraphs the poem tells the story of the stolen generation from the point of view of the Aboriginal families allowing the reader to understand the story. The poem explains what happened when the Welfare act was established as well as the fear the families and children went through, how the Welfare officers acted and how harsh they seemed or were. Stan’s mother’s poem is very well written and its simplicity makes it easy to understand as well as interesting to read. Behind those simple sentences and simple words there is great sadness and a story which makes the reader emotional and sympathetic.

This section in Stan’s book including the poem is very interesting and is well written. The poem is very catch and it is easy to read over and over again as each time it is read the greater meanings start to appear and the poem starts to expand in its meanings. It takes the reader through the pain, fear and terror the Aboriginal families went through and wether the reader is an Aboriginal person or a white person they can relate to this kind of fear and the pain that it would bring to a family through the loss of a child. Including the poem in the book is very effective as the poem is interesting and very informing as it allows the reader to really understand what Stan is talking about and really relate to it. I have found the poem really interesting, emotional and meaningful. Even though it is simply written and short in a way it still told the whole story including the emotions the families went through.

Grant, S. 2002, The tears of strangers: a family memoir, Harper Collins: Sydney

Reflection by Erin Macnamara

I enjoyed this assignment and I feel that I have become more aware of Indigenous issues and its really opened my eyes up more about our countries history and made me realise just how important history and family is to making us who we are and the problems that arise from not having that connection to family or history.


The topic of ‘Returning Home, New Family Histories’ incorporated the theme of identity and we decided it also incorporated the theme of stolen generation. I think that the stolen generation and what we know about it and the impact of that on Indigenous Australians today shows just how much identity – which is made up of history, culture and family – is important. The film Rabbit Proof Fence and the novel Finding Ullagundahi Island represent our topic very well. They both incorporate the themes of identity, family, culture and history.


This assignment was made easy and fun by having a good group, especially Rebecca, who went out of her way to organise and set up the blog and who took the time to meet up and discuss the assignment. I think it is a great way of presenting our information and I found it more enjoyable then having to write an essay, it was good to do something a little more modern and making good use of the technologies available to us. I loved reading the novel Finding Ullagundahi Island as well as the novel Butterfly Song which has the same themes and I read for the previous assignment, and I plan on reading more novels similar.

Preparing for the Major Essay by Erin Macnamara

The essay question that relates the most to the topic of Returning Home, New Family Histories is question 4, ‘Examine the relationships between the past and the present, and its necessary connections to place in indigenous literature and film’. To prepare for this assignment I would start by compiling a list of literature and films that focus and centre around the theme of stolen generation, identity, history and of course the theme of returning home. I would also look at current legislations and collect information regarding these themes and what has been done to perpetuate the issue of stolen generation, or what has been done to reconnect Indigenous Australians to their history, home and families.


Resources:
http://www.sgalliance.org.au/ - The Stolen Generations Alliance


http://www.hreoc.gov.au/social_justice/bth_report/index.html - Bringing Them Home Report ‘the stolen children’


http://www.aph.gov.au/ - The Parliament of Australia Web Site


Some examples of Literature and Film:


Janke, R (2005), Butterfly song, Camberwell, Victoria: Penguin.


Bayet-Charlton, F (2002), Finding Ullagundahi Island, Crows Nest, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin.


Rabbit Proof Fence (2002), directed by Phillip Noyce

Rabbit Proof Fence Review - By: Rebecca Kelly

Directed by: Phillip Noyce
Released: 21/2/2002
Cast:
Everlyn Sampi
David Gulpilil
Kenneth Branagh
Deborah Mailman
Tianna Sansbury
Laura Monaghan


If you want to have a feel for what life was like for the Aboriginal people of Australia when Europeans came to this land and an adventure filled true story, then The Rabbit-Proof Fence is the perfect introduction. It explores life in the early 1900’s and how the Government Policies of the day affected one particular group of girls who were Mardu people from the Jigalong area.

Molly, Gracie and Daisy were three young girls who as ‘half-cast’ children living a traditional Mardu lifestyle were taken away by the ‘Protector of Aborigines’. The children were taken 1600 kms away to the ‘Moore River Native Settlement’ that was a dark, oppressive place. The girls escape from Moore River and walk all the way back home following the Rabbit-Proof fence. See the Map on the left that makes you really appreciate how talented and knowledgeable these girls were to make it so far across the desolate West Australian country unharmed whilst being chased.

The movie has great scenery and you really see what it is like in the desert regions of Australia. The issues of the Stolen Generation and practices of the Government at the time are brutally honest and you also see what life was like for the Aboriginal girls/women who worked on the farms and the issue of sexual abuse. The movie makes you angry at the past but also leaves you happy as the girls did make it home to their families. You also get the see Molly and Daisy in real life today as elderly women talking about their travels, lives and the things that they have been through including having their own children taken away (one of them never to be seen again). The film is not about politics, it is just an honest true story of the journey of three young girls who were taken as part of the Stolen Generation and ‘returning’ home.

Finding Ullagundahi Island a Textual Analysis by Erin Macnamara

Finding Ullagundahi Island by Fabienne Bayet-Charlton

‘We've all wanted to know for years where we really come from. We all want to know why, after being born in New South Wales. We have ended up in the middle of Australia, the desert, Coober Pedy' (Bayet-Charlton 2002, p.12)

‘Softly, quietly so as not to wake old feelings, and mabye old spirits, Nana speaks about her life, about her family, her childhood, before the desert. She talks of her home, the strength of her childhood. She tells me about a river so wide, blue and meandering that her people lived in the middle of it, and trees so dense in numbers, so thick with leaves, they created a canopy of green mist throughout the land’ (Bayet-Charlton 2002, p.13)

‘Within the largest collection of Aboriginal-related material in the southern hemisphere, no, in the world, I am marooned. The white anthropologist who collected the material of my family, of my ancestors, has greater right of access than I do. It is his work. It is his information. I am dispossessed of it. Another gate has been locked. I wonder how many other people have come into this great institute, this wonderful cornucopia of information, and gone away empty-handed’ (Bayet-Charlton 2002, p.157)

These quotes sum up the purpose of this novel, a young girls quest to find the home of her family, to discover her ancestry, and to find this island that her Nana described in such detail and the places that she has heard about. They provide examples of the emotive and expressive language used to convey to the reader the true feelings of the character, and the passion that Bayet-Charlton has for the novel. This novel is written in such a way as it is a memoir of events, and the author acknowledges it to be of real events and characters in her life, but that it is also a mix of fiction/narrative.

There are many themes in this story, from homecoming, to a look at the settlement and its impact on the Indigenous culture. There is a sense of looking for belonging and purpose and a journey to discover ones roots and heritage, and ones identity. This novel touches on the subject of the Indigenous culture being lost in the past or distorted by individuals not passing on their stories and knowledge and the impact of institutions documenting and recording very little on Indigenous Australians at that time. The quote from page 157 (above) describes the frustration that she feels when she is turned down, again, in finding information regarding her family history. It shows how institutional or scientific accounts of Indigenous history have been buried and submerged, and even distorted by these institutions and how Indigenous Australians feel out of place and lost through not having the opportunity to find out more about their past.

Bayet-Charlton’s writing style incorporates evocation, imagery, metaphors, connotation, and juxtaposition to create a memoir/narrative that conveys such meaning, and emotion through to the reader, so we feel like we are part of the story, that we are right there facing the same injustices’ that the character faces, the prejudice from colleges and the uncertainty of the journey she goes on. The story takes an emotional rollercoaster and incorporates ‘flashbacks’ to what she remembers from her past to stories she remembers being told. Bayet-Charlton’s novel represents a ‘journey’ into the past, to her families’ ancestral place and how her parents and grandparents experiences impact upon her own identity and who she is as an Indigenous Australian. Throughout the whole story however she is compelled to continue her search to because of her Nana, and her Nana’s memories pushing her to keep going, so that she can go back to see her Nana and tell her that she found it, that she found her home, her past, and her history.

This story moved me and I found myself understanding why some Indigenous Australians are angry with the government for removing them from their land, their family and for placing them into the care of white civilisation, stripping them of their identity and their culture, leading to the uncertainty and loss of identity that many Indigenous Australians face today. I imagine what it would be like for me to be searching for my past, my heritage and the frustration I would feel at the roadblocks in my way to learning about myself, my family and home. I would feel lost, angry, confused and locked out of my past.

This is essentially what this novel is about, family, homecoming and heritage.

Bayet-Charlton, F (2002), Finding Ullagundahi Island, Crows Nest, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin.

Looking good

hey Rebecca, I like it looks good and the video bar is a great idea! will start posting my book review etc soon!Cheers,Erin

The Stolen Generation and Returning Home Info by: Rebecca Kelly

Aboriginal children were forcibly removed until 1970. This was part of the Government policy starting from the Aborigines Protection Act and appointing the Aborigines Protection Board. A ' Chief Protector' of Aboriginal people who had the power to control every single movement of Aboriginal people and was the legal guardian of all the children who were send to missions.

The forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families was official Government policy from 1909 until 1969. The removal policy was managed by the Aborigines Protection Board.

Please see on the left a link to the 'Bringing them home report' so you can learn this history.

The idea of 'Return' is discussed in many of these websites and in many reports and literature. This is about those people who were removed from their families, or who were forced onto missions having the leave the home land, try to find a way back. Many people who were removed at a young age still cannot locate their home country or any family members. Many who were from regions all over Australia were talked to missions that were near cities and were very different to where they came from. Aboriginal people who want to find out their history and in a sense, give them back their Identity do this as they want to know where they came from. The culture may have been lost but it gives these people a change to try and find it again and keep a hold of this so they can pass it down to their children (including the language in many cases). Tracing back the steps helps with the healing process and we must think about how we would feel if this had happened today to our children or younger brother or sisters. We must learn from the past so no future Government can ever repeat this horrendous wrong doing.

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I enjoyed this assignment, the logistics of getting together with other people when completing an external course proved difficult, Erin and I were able to meet once to organise and the three of us were in constant email contact since early in the course. I designed and opened the Blog page and as I had never done anything like this I found it a fun and different exercise, rather than having to just write an essay. The topic of week 12 is very relevant, and as part of the stolen generation; this is a real issue that is constantly in the media and has an array of information available to research this topic. Over the course so far I have come to appreciate a lot more written texts and films that have been written/produced by Aboriginal people. It has opened my eyes to the array of literature out there that I was not aware of and I have passed this knowledge on to my friends and family urging them to read the books and watch the movies I have seen so we can discuss them together. I look forward to incorporating a lot more books in my future that have been written by Aboriginal people as everything I have read so far I have enjoyed immensely and as an avid reader this is a good sign.

'Took the Children Away' a song by Archie Roach -Rebecca Kelly

Album:Charcoal Lane, 1992, by Archie Roach
Title: Took the Children Away

This story's right, this story's true
I would not tell lies to you
Like the promises they did not keep
And how they fenced us in like sheep.
Said to us come take our hand
Sent us off to mission land.
Taught us to read, to write and pray
Then they took the children away,
Took the children away,
The children away.
Snatched from their mother's breast
Said this is for the best
Took them away.

The welfare and the policeman
Said you've got to understand
We'll give them what you can't give
Teach them how to really live.
Teach them how to live they said
Humiliated them instead
Taught them that and taught them this
And others taught them prejudice.
You took the children away
The children away
Breaking their mothers heart
Tearing us all apart
Took them away

One dark day on Framingham
Come and didn't give a damn
My mother cried go get their dad
He came running, fighting mad
Mother's tears were falling down
Dad shaped up and stood his ground.
He said 'You touch my kids and you fight me'
And they took us from our family.
Took us away
They took us away
Snatched from our mother's breast
Said this was for the best
Took us away.

Told us what to do and say
Told us all the white man's ways
Then they split us up again
And gave us gifts to ease the pain
Sent us off to foster homes
As we grew up we felt alone
Cause we were acting white
Yet feeling black

One sweet day all the children came back
The children come back
The children come back
Back where their hearts grow strong
Back where they all belong
The children came back
Said the children come back
The children come back
Back where they understand
Back to their mother's land
The children come back

Back to their mother
Back to their father
Back to their sister
Back to their brother
Back to their people
Back to their land
All the children come back
The children come back
The children come back
Yes I came back.

This song makes you really feel the pain involved with being taken from your family. The heartbreak involved that really does last a life time. The song also shows how the Aboriginal people were forced to act, say and do as the white man said. Living in this time would have been very hard and the affects are still shown today from what Aboriginal people have gone through.