A strong message that more needs to be done was shared at Wednesday's ceremony to mark 11 years since the official apology to Aboriginal people.
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Wiradjuri elder Aunty Isabel Reid said the government’s apology by then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to the Stolen Generations has not made a difference and has had devastating effects to the Indigenous community.
“How many more people need to live through the pain, for Australians to understand that our stories are real?,” Aunty Isabel asked.
“I’ve shared my story many times, I’ve lived through the pain and have been taken from my parents many times.
“If we’re being truthful today, I think we need to ask ourselves: how far have we come? A failure to act has caused a ripple effect to our current generation; we are now seeing an increase in Aboriginal people in jail, suicide is on the rise and more children are being removed.”
Aunty Isabel said more action from all levels of government was needed now more than ever.
“I think it’s time for the government to listen properly, we’ve had 54 recommendations since 2008 and we haven’t seen one yet,” she said.
“People need to think of the trauma and the tragedy that happened to thousands of children.
“It’s a very touchy subject every time policy comes around, but it’s been 11 years and it’s still at a stand still.
“We waited 20 years for them to bring us home and I hope we don’t have to wait for another 20 years to see change,” Aunty Isabel said.
Deputy mayor Dallas Tout said National Apology Day was a “critical” time for the community to work towards reconciliation.
“Having that apology and actually taking action properly are two different things all together,” Cr Tout said.
“We need to take from Aunty Isabel’s speech, from someone who feels it intimately, so that other people can have that depth of knowledge that she can impart to others and understand how we can help.”
Dancer at the ceremony Max Havelka, 13, said he enjoyed the opportunity to "show off his culture" to the community.
"My message is that if you're Aboriginal, you should be proud of your history and culture," Max said.