WEBVTT 00:00:00.336 --> 00:00:07.387 [Ethereal music.] 00:00:07.387 --> 00:00:10.936 The story of our communities, people, and nation 00:00:10.936 --> 00:00:13.671 starts a long, long time ago. 00:00:13.671 --> 00:00:20.421 [Music] 00:00:20.421 --> 00:00:23.405 More than 60,000 years, in fact. 00:00:23.405 --> 00:00:30.921 [Music.] 00:00:30.921 --> 00:00:33.073 This was when our culture and our law 00:00:33.073 --> 00:00:35.321 first started to thrive. 00:00:35.321 --> 00:00:41.222 [Music.] 00:00:41.222 --> 00:00:45.504 We knew who we were, and where we belonged. 00:00:45.504 --> 00:00:47.788 We took care of each other, 00:00:47.788 --> 00:00:51.005 our land, and our waters. 00:00:51.005 --> 00:00:53.555 We ate food that made us healthy. 00:00:53.555 --> 00:00:55.188 Lived on country, 00:00:55.188 --> 00:00:59.238 and abided by our laws, and songlines. 00:00:59.238 --> 00:01:02.622 Our families, our children, were happy, 00:01:02.622 --> 00:01:05.506 with strong minds and hearts, because 00:01:05.506 --> 00:01:08.039 they were where they belonged. 00:01:08.039 --> 00:01:12.420 [Strong music.] 00:01:12.420 --> 00:01:17.237 [Soft heartbeat.] 00:01:17.237 --> 00:01:18.904 But, then... 00:01:18.904 --> 00:01:23.172 everything changed. 00:01:23.172 --> 00:01:24.738 Colonization came, 00:01:24.738 --> 00:01:28.572 bringing wars, disease, famine. 00:01:28.572 --> 00:01:30.238 Violence. 00:01:30.238 --> 00:01:32.055 And the destruction and violation 00:01:32.055 --> 00:01:33.455 of our cultural laws, 00:01:33.455 --> 00:01:34.705 sacred sites, 00:01:34.705 --> 00:01:36.905 families, and communities. 00:01:36.905 --> 00:01:38.872 We were denied our knowledge, 00:01:38.872 --> 00:01:41.971 language, ceremonies, and identity. 00:01:41.971 --> 00:01:43.938 The very things that tell us 00:01:43.938 --> 00:01:46.439 who we are, and where we belong. 00:01:46.439 --> 00:01:47.805 And our connections 00:01:47.805 --> 00:01:51.518 with each other, and the land, grew weak. 00:01:51.518 --> 00:01:52.589 And then, 00:01:52.589 --> 00:01:54.554 our children were taken from us. 00:01:54.554 --> 00:01:56.154 They had their names changed, 00:01:56.154 --> 00:01:58.022 and their identities stripped away. 00:01:58.022 --> 00:02:00.671 They were told that aboriginal people were bad. 00:02:00.671 --> 00:02:01.839 Worse still, 00:02:01.839 --> 00:02:03.072 they were told 00:02:03.072 --> 00:02:05.138 that their parents, and grandparents, 00:02:05.138 --> 00:02:06.772 did not want them. 00:02:06.772 --> 00:02:08.508 For years, this happened. 00:02:08.508 --> 00:02:10.805 Those children became known 00:02:10.805 --> 00:02:13.706 as "The Stolen Generations." 00:02:13.706 --> 00:02:15.806 Our children were denied love, 00:02:15.806 --> 00:02:19.957 and experienced physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. 00:02:19.957 --> 00:02:23.441 This left very deep, very complex, 00:02:23.441 --> 00:02:25.639 and very real wounds, 00:02:25.639 --> 00:02:28.274 leaving scars that are still being felt 00:02:28.274 --> 00:02:33.659 personally, socially, spiritually, and collectively. 00:02:33.659 --> 00:02:36.623 In the time when our story started, 00:02:36.623 --> 00:02:39.857 we were able to parent in the cultural way 00:02:39.857 --> 00:02:43.623 that has seen our family survive and thrive, 00:02:43.623 --> 00:02:45.974 for generations. 00:02:45.974 --> 00:02:47.857 Our people were strong, 00:02:47.857 --> 00:02:49.656 and our culture flowed, 00:02:49.656 --> 00:02:52.006 and healed us in times of hurt. 00:02:52.006 --> 00:02:54.190 But, since the trauma of colonization 00:02:54.190 --> 00:02:56.207 and the stolen generations, 00:02:56.207 --> 00:02:58.872 we have not been able to heal in the same way. 00:02:58.872 --> 00:03:02.025 We have unknowingly passed this trauma to our children, 00:03:02.025 --> 00:03:04.025 through sharing our sad stories, 00:03:04.025 --> 00:03:06.906 and having them witness and experience our pain. 00:03:06.906 --> 00:03:09.508 This is known as Intergenerational Trauma. 00:03:09.508 --> 00:03:11.273 We see symptoms today, 00:03:11.273 --> 00:03:12.906 in broken relationships, 00:03:12.906 --> 00:03:14.474 disconnected families, 00:03:14.474 --> 00:03:16.074 violence, suicide, 00:03:16.074 --> 00:03:17.956 and drug and alcohol abuse. 00:03:17.956 --> 00:03:20.391 But, this is not where our story ends. 00:03:20.391 --> 00:03:23.524 We still have strong minds and hearts, 00:03:23.524 --> 00:03:25.106 and we still know 00:03:25.106 --> 00:03:27.824 who we were, and where we belong. 00:03:27.824 --> 00:03:31.357 By creating safe and strong communities together, 00:03:31.357 --> 00:03:34.940 supporting our families to be free from pain, 00:03:34.940 --> 00:03:37.122 returning to our culture, 00:03:37.122 --> 00:03:39.942 and building a strength of identity, 00:03:39.942 --> 00:03:42.575 we can stop the cycle of trauma, 00:03:42.575 --> 00:03:46.527 and bring about positive intergenerational change, 00:03:46.527 --> 00:03:48.689 so that we can continue 00:03:48.689 --> 00:03:52.057 to thrive for the next 60,000 years. 00:03:52.057 --> 00:03:53.608 There are simple things 00:03:53.608 --> 00:03:56.223 that we can all do, to help heal our trauma. 00:03:56.223 --> 00:03:57.274 Visit 00:03:57.274 --> 00:03:59.280 healingfoundation.org.au 00:03:59.280 --> 00:04:01.566 to find out more.