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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be aware that this email, and linking articles/videos may contain images, voices and names of people who have passed away.
From Sorry to Action
The Healing Foundation CEO Shannan Dodson at the Parliament House launch of the 'From Sorry to Action' Plan.
Message from our CEO Shannan Dodson
Ngaji mingan (hello, how are you in Yawuru),
Across the country, communities came together to mark the 29th National Sorry Day and honour Stolen Generations survivors, their families and descendants. Through community gatherings, exhibitions, ceremonies and local events, we remembered those no longer with us and recognised the strength, resilience and leadership of survivors. I acknowledge the many Stolen Generations Organisations, community organisations, governments, schools and volunteers who helped make these commemorations possible.
In this edition, we reflect on National Sorry Day commemorations the strong community response to the launch of the From Sorry to Action – A Plan to Act on Bringing them home (2026-2028) Plan. We also share updates on our advocacy to improve access to Stolen Generations records and family history, our calls for aged care reforms, and recent policy and sector engagement focused on turning longstanding recommendations into meaningful action.
It is also with a heavy heart that I also share my resignation as CEO of The Healing Foundation. I’ve been part of The Healing Foundation for 4 years – working originally as a consultant, then the Deputy CEO and now CEO.
The decision to step down has not come easy, but it was important for me to be able to make time for my family and wellbeing.
I remain deeply supportive of the vision, purpose and future of this organisation. This work is deeply personal for me, and I will always fight for the justice and healing for Stolen Generations survivors. You can read the full statement online
As we approach the 30th anniversary of the Bringing them home report in 2027, it is vital to acknowledge that each passing year without action represents a lost chance for survivors of the Stolen Generations.
It's time to turn sorry into action and ensure meaningful change is not delayed any longer.
Yours in solidarity,
Shannan Dodson (Yawuru)
CEO of The Healing Foundation
National Sorry Day nationwide commemorations: Nearly three decades on, the call for change continues: the time for action is now
The Healing Foundation staff lay a wreath at the National Sorry Day breakfast in Meanjin (Brisbane) at Cranbrook Place, held by Link-Up (QLD).
The 29th National Sorry Day was marked by thousands of people across the country, in many events hosted by Stolen Generations Organisations, and community and volunteer organisations.
Guided by this year’s theme, From Sorry to Action, we honoured the strength of Stolen Generations survivors and reflected on what meaningful action looks like in supporting healing for survivors.
We supported organisations to host commemorative events through our Collective Healing Grants funding program. This funding enabled organisations across the nation to create activities that fostered community connection, supported cultural healing practices, and provided opportunities to acknowledge the ongoing impacts of the Stolen Generation.
Commemorations for National Sorry Day is one of the 6% of recommendations of the Bringing them home report (1997) that has been actioned, and remains an ongoing commitment, 29 years later.
Read the full article
Millions reached as National Sorry Day 2026 sparks reflection and action
The Healing Foundation CEO Shannan Dodson interviewed by media on National Sorry Day.
This year, National Sorry Day saw participation from thousands of individuals engaging in events and activities throughout May. As we launched the From Sorry to Action Plan, we connected with over five million people through media coverage via TV, print, online articles, radio stories, plus our social media campaigns reached huge audiences too!
Did you catch the Sorry Day media coverage on NITV, National Indigenous Times, ABC Online, listen to the SBS First Nations First podcast, and Triple J’s Hack?
Register now for an online event – Unpacking From Sorry to Action: A plan to act on Bringing them home (2026-2028)
You’re invited to a webinar on Tuesday 21 July about From Sorry to Action: A plan to act on Bringing them home (2026-2028)
This webinar is designed for people within government agencies, political offices and community organisations from across the country and will unpack the actions outlined in the plan.
This plan encourages leaders, agencies and organisations across multiple sectors to investigate and take action on the Bringing them home recommendations.
Register here
The Healing Foundation Board Chair Professor Steve Larkin.
Creation of permanent aged care commissioner role will strengthen advocacy for ageing survivors
A long-called-for step toward safer, more equitable aged care is closer to reality.
The Healing Foundation welcomes the Federal Government’s move to establish a permanent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aged Care Commissioner — an important step towards stronger advocacy, accountability and culturally safe aged care for ageing Stolen Generations survivors.
A permanent Commissioner will help ensure the voices, experiences and urgent needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and survivors are heard in aged care reform, and that systems are better equipped to deliver trauma-informed, healing-led and culturally safe care.
The Healing Foundation Board Chair Professor Steve Larkin (Kungarakan) said the decision was encouraging, noting that real progress can be made for survivors when ageing survivors are able to share their stories and experiences with a safe person.
The Healing Foundation welcomes Kamilaroi/Gamilaroi woman Jodi Cassar as the new Interim First Nations Aged Care Commissioner and look forward to continuing this vital work together.
Ms Cassar will build on former interim commissioner Andrea Kelly’s work and the consultation that underpins it.
Read the full statement to learn more about what this milestone means for ageing Stolen Generations survivors.
Aged care reform must not leave Stolen Generations survivors behind
Stolen Generations survivors attending a Healing Foundation event.
The Healing Foundation endorsed a joint statement led by the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ageing and Aged Care Council (NATSIAACC), which calls for urgent action on aged care reform for First Nations peoples.
The statement emphasises that more than five years after the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, key recommendations specifically related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities remain unaddressed, delayed, or stalled.
The Healing Foundation’s submission for the Senate Community Affairs Committee's review of aged care legislative instruments focused on the implications of the Aged Care Rules 2025 for Stolen Generations survivors, particularly the need for culturally safe aged care and the inconsistent treatment of redress payments in aged care means testing.
Read our full statement and the submission
The Healing Foundation Deputy CEO Leonie Williamson presenting.
Empowering survivors: Key insights from the AIATSIS Summit on healing and access to Stolen Generations records
Systemic change is needed to support Stolen Generations survivors access to records and family history.
AIATSIS Summit delegates at the Gold Coast heard this strong message from The Healing Foundation Deputy CEO, Leonie Williamson (Gubbi Gubbi/Butchulla), who presented on The Healing Foundation's records priorities, research projects, collective healing grants, and turning advocacy into action in her presentation.
Leonie, together with The Healing Foundation Board Director Dr Ivan Ingram (Wiradjuri), shared a response to a panel discussion about frontier violence, place, and community relations. These conversations reinforced the importance of ensuring survivors can access records safely, consistently, and with the support they need.
Despite decades of evidence and advocacy, survivors have seen so little action. Throughout Leonie's presentation, questions, and discussions, one message was clear – it's not good enough.
That’s why on National Sorry Day, we released From Sorry to Action: A plan to act on Bringing them home (2026-2028). It’s a call for commitments from governments and institutions to act, and gives a clear pathway for the implementation of key outstanding recommendations relating to health and ageing, records and redress, education and data, and accountability.
Find out more about our records work and download the ‘From Sorry to Action’ Plan.
Stolen Generations survivor and The Healing Foundation's Stolen Generations Reference Group member Uncle Michael 'Widdy' Welsh looking at records on Ngunnawal/Ngambri Country in Canberra.
Records, family tracing and reunions: A continuing call for cultural policy reform
The failure to implement nearly half of the Bringing them home recommendations relating to records, family tracing, and reunions was the focus of The Healing Foundation’s submission to the review of the National Cultural Policy, Revive. Submissions will inform the development of a new National Cultural Policy.
Our submission called for the recognition of Stolen Generations survivors as a key audience and critical stakeholder of collecting institutions - such as archives, museums, libraries, and galleries - as well as the policies which govern them.
Drawing on findings from the National Records Symposium and Are you waiting for us to die?, our submission focused on the urgent need to address barriers to survivors' access to their records, storytelling and accessibility, and the opportunity for a rights-based approach to cultural policy.
Stolen Generations truth-telling grants now open
Queensland Stolen Generations survivors Uncle Greg Duffy, (r) and Uncle Paul Sandow (l) captured in Meanjin (Brisbane).
A new partnership aims to honour and preserve the stories of Stolen Generations survivors and their descendants through community broadcasting platforms.
The Community Broadcasting Foundation and The Healing Foundation have opened applications for the Stolen Generations Truth Telling grants.
These grants offer a total funding pool of $200,000 to support storytelling collaborations between survivors, descendants, and community broadcasters. This initiative provides an opportunity to honour, preserve, and share powerful stories through radio, television, and digital media, enabling communities to lead truth-telling, healing, and education for future generations.
We encourage interested First Nations storytellers to begin collaborating with their local community broadcasters now.
Applications close Tuesday 1 September 2026 at 2 PM AEST. Visit the CBF website for further information and to apply
NAIDOC Week – recognising 50 years of Deadly across the Stolen Generations sector
This year’s NAIDOC Week theme, Fifty Years of Deadly marks a milestone. It’s a tribute to the people who built this movement – the Elders who stood firm, the organisers who made space, the artists who turned resistance into expression, and the communities who keep showing up, year after year.
NAIDOC has always been more than a week — it’s a platform, a protest, a celebration, and a statement of survival.
We wanted to recognise 50 years of Deadly by collating and reflecting on some of the pivotal moments that have shaped the Stolen Generations sector. From the establishment of vital Link-Up services in the 1980s to the landmark Bringing them home report in 1997, these milestones highlight the ongoing struggles and triumphs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
The Going Home Conference in 1994 brought together over 600 survivors who demanded recognition and action, leading to the establishment of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families (the National Inquiry). Despite the challenges faced, movements like National Sorry Day remind us of the importance of acknowledging our past and foster healing.
This week, let’s honour these achievements and the voices that fought for justice. We invite you to share this timeline and reflect on these events, and encourage awareness.
Join us in celebrating and amplifying voices this NAIDOC Week and beyond.
View the full highlight timeline
A landmark inquiry, a continuing call for justice
Nearly 30 years on, the voices behind the landmark Bringing them home report reflect on the groundbreaking inquiry that helped expose the widespread injustices experienced by the Stolen Generations.
Released during NAIDOC Week as part of the Australian Human Rights Commission's 40th anniversary, this video explores the landmark 1997 report - one of the most significant human rights inquiries in Australian history.
Featuring Australia's first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Mick Dodson, The Healing Foundation CEO Shannan Dodson and Stolen Generations survivor Aunty Bronwyn Smith, the video reflects on the report's impact and legacy, and on how most of the failures it identified persist today.
Watch the video below:
Stolen Generations survivor Dr Jennifer Caruso and member of The Healing Foundation’s Stolen Generations Reference Group.
Stolen Generations survivor appointed Member of Order of Australia
‘Education and study – the most powerful tool for women, disadvantaged people and Aboriginal people.’
These are words from Stolen Generations survivor Dr Jennifer Caruso, a member of The Healing Foundation’s Stolen Generations Reference Group.
The Eastern Arrernte woman was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her significant service to Indigenous Communities of South Australia.
Dr Caruso is a historian who is deeply passionate about teaching the true history of Australia, and the atrocities faced by Stolen Generations survivors and their descendants.
“I was absolutely thrilled to receive an email a couple of months ago from the Office of the Governor General that the nomination had been accepted,” she said.
Congratulations Aunty Jenni! Read the full article
Thank you for standing with survivors
We thank everyone who stood with Stolen Generations survivors and took the time to reflect, listen and learn on National Sorry Day.
Visit our website to find out more about the Stolen Generations and how you can support urgent justice and action for survivors.
