Today marks 13 years since Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said “we are sorry” to survivors of the Stolen Generations. The policies that afforded authorities the right to forcefully remove Aboriginal children from their families caused trauma that continues to impact generations. Elders, families and communities still grieve these losses.

In the 13 years since the Apology, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children continue to be separated from their families, and are nearly ten times more likely to be placed in out-of-home care than non-Indigenous children. Somehow, policymakers aren’t seeing the connection between the damage done to the Stolen Generations and the current rate at which children are being removed, and the trauma it can and does cause.

The establishment of the Ngulluk Koolunga Ngulluk Koort (Our Children, Our Heart) project has provided insight into how Elders can offer solutions to child protection services, such as alternatives to children being removed from their communities.

Through consultations with over 100 Elders and senior Aboriginal community members in Perth, principles and practice recommendations have been established, Sharynne Hamilton and her colleagues write today. These recommendations call for child protection services to work more collaboratively and respectfully with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Today also marks four years since the Uluru Statement from the Heart, when First Nations people voiced their desire to be heard and for their ideas to help shape the direction of this nation. This extends to foreign policy, as James Blackwell writes.

For too long, Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, communities and academics have been requesting collaboration with governments in decision-making that directly affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It’s time we listened.

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