National Sorry Day 2017

Today marks 20 years since the Bringing Them Home report was tabled in parliament. Most Australians know where they come from and where they can be at home, for the Stolen Generations this connection was often shattered. Language, connections to ancestral country and families were lost for many. New relationships had to be established, and old pain still needs to be healed.
National Sorry Day is the first step on the path to reconciliation and tomorrow we start National Reconciliation Week 2017.
Today, we say sorry. We say sorry to all those affected by the Stolen Generations policies, and other historic and current Australian policies which have resulted in significant disadvantage being placed on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across New South Wales and the entire country.
Saying sorry doesn’t mean a lot if you don’t also work to address the wrong. For the Tenants’ Union we work with Aboriginal networks such as the Aboriginal Tenants Advice and Advocacy Services, both to address individual tenancy disputes, and systemic issues such as the quality, funding and management of Aboriginal housing in New South Wales.

This artwork was created by Pauline Coxon, former tenancy advocate and Biripi artist living on Ngarigo country. Entitled Making Tracks to your Tenancy, Coming Home. Today it speaks to us of the the value of knowing where your home is, as we work towards ensuring all people can create spaces in which they can feel at home.

See Pauline’s work for the Tenants’ Union here: https://tenants.org.au/news/artwork-aboriginal-artist-pauline-coxon