Freeman lashes out over stolen generation

2000-07-17 01:46:36


Australia's Olympic athletics gold medal hope Cathy Freeman has branded the
Federal Government insensitive over the stolen generation.

The world champion runner has told Britain's Sunday Telegraph newspaper that
her grandmother was a stolen child and the government's insensitivity had
left people angry and emotional.

The government rejected the criticism, repeating its expression of regret
over past policies of removing Aboriginal children from their families to
encourage assimilation.

"My grandmother was taken away from her mother because she had fair skin. She
didn't know her birthday so we didn't even know how old she was when she
died," Freeman told the paper.

"You have to understand that when you have a government that is so
insensitive to the issues that are close to people's hearts, that have
affected so many lives for the worse, people are going to be really angry and
emotional.

"I was so angry because they were denying they had done anything wrong,
denying that a whole generation was stolen. The fact is, parts of people's
lives were taken away, they were stolen.

"I'll never know who my grandfather was, I didn't know who my great
grandmother was, and that can never be replaced."

The government said earlier this year that only about 10 per cent of
Aborigines were affected and the term stolen generation was a misnomer.

A spokesman for Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Herron said the government
acknowledged many people were affected.

"The government has expressed its deep and sincere regret for past injustices
and for the hurt and trauma that many indigenous people continue to feel as a
consequence of past practices of separation," he said.

"The government acknowledges that many people have been affected by past
family separation practices and that is why the government is spending $63
million on a national package of practical and realistic initiatives
including family link-up and counselling."

Freeman is adamant her feelings will not mean participation in any protests
at the Olympic Games and that she can prove more by competing.
- AAP

This story was found at:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/20000717/A11623-2000Jul17.html

Freeman blast lifts pressure: Boyle
By JACQUELIN MAGNAY
2000-07-19 01:52:11


Dual Olympic silver medallist sprinter Raelene Boyle says Cathy Freeman's
criticism of the Howard Government over the stolen generation may relieve
significant pressure that had been put on her.

Ms Boyle, one of Freeman's closest friends for 10 years and who attended her
San Francisco wedding last year, said the 400-metre world champion had been
under much pressure to make a statement for some time.

"Hopefully, now that Cathy has spoken out, it will take the pressure off her
from the indigenous committees," Ms Boyle said.

"They have been pushing her to say something for a long time and maybe now
they will leave her alone and let her get ready for the Olympics."

Ms Boyle said Freeman had resisted speaking during May's Corroboree 2000
event and other politically sensitive times, but speculated that she gave the
interview to London's Sunday Telegraph because she was "very comfortable and
happy with her life right now".

Ms Boyle said people greatly underestimated Freeman's intelligence and said
the runner would have known the impact her words would have.

"Cathy knew what she said would bounce around the world, which it did and I
admire her for it," she said.

"By standing up and saying what she did, she is trying to make it better for
others. I just hope it may relieve the pressure she has been under for her to
make a statement.

"She just needs to be able to focus on training and not be distracted by
events back home now."

This story was found at:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/20000719/A15314-2000Jul18.html