Descendant: solutions are clear but action is needed (AIHW)

The Healing Foundation spoke to Stolen Generations descendants Karlie Stewart (Yuin) about the latest findings from Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).  

The findings reveal survivors and descendants of the Stolen Generations continue to face significantly worse health and welfare outcomes compared to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who weren’t removed.  

Karlie, The Healing Foundation’s Youth Reference Group co-chair, emphasises that community-led solutions and government accountability are critical to addressing the needs of both survivors and descendants of the Stolen Generations.  

“We need to turn eyes towards descendants and the experiences of intergenerational trauma – our survivors are getting older and the pain is still there and worsening for ongoing lack of accountability from successive governments,” she said.  

“The trauma in Aborginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is palpable – we know that’s from the actions of government that sought to commit genocide on our people. 

“The story doesn’t stop with Stolen Generations survivors, it’s also about their descendants who continue to carry those stories.” 

We didn’t create the trauma  

Karlie shared that descendants were not defined by trauma, and that strength could be found in culture, First Nations knowledges, connection and Country.  

“As descendants we carry that pain inside us — but that’s not who we are and that’s not who our communities are,” she said 

“When we talk about intergenerational trauma... there is also intergenerational strength, healing and culture and so many beautiful things about who we are and how we exist in the world — our knowledge, how we care for Country and for one another. 

“We need to keep those knowledges and culture strong because that’s where our healing is,” she urged. 

Karlie reflected how, as a young person who spent a lot of time in out of home care and dealt firsthand with the trauma passed down through her family, she knows that this is a fight she wants to carry forward, not only for herself and her own healing, but also for her mum and her old people.  

“I’ve found a lot of my own healing in my family and in my community despite all the trauma. That trauma is not ours — it’s not our fault,” Karlie said. 

We’re still here  

“But what we do have is love, community, culture, reciprocity and care. 

“As First Nations people, as the oldest continuous culture in the world, we owe it to our young people to continue our way of being that we’ve continued for thousands of years.” 

Karlie said one thing that government and the churches tried to take from us was our culture and who we are and how we exist in the world in relationship with one another. 

“They tried their best, but we are still here.”  

She’s calling for accountability for the actions of government and past governments.  

We already know the solutions  

“Mob have talked for decades about what we want to see happening in our communities and what will create change in a meaningful way,” Karlie said. 

“Aged care, disability care, healthcare, education, truth telling are just some of the priorities,” she said. The evidence is clear in what the AIHW findings are telling us.  

“Our communities know what we need, we’ve already said what we need – government need to back us to achieve that, and we need sovereignty, autonomy and self-determination over that,” Karlie added.   

“We know the solutions, we know what will bring our healing, we know what we deserve.” 

Related information  

• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data on Stolen Generations survivors and descendants  
• Joint AIHW/The Healing Foundation media release   
• The Healing Foundation key messages