National apology anniversary to unite

Follow @BgoAddyBENDIGO’S indigenous and council leaders have called on the community to unite to mark the fourth anniversary of the national apology to the stolen generations.Monday will mark four years since former prime minster Kevin Rudd delivered the apology in the federal parliament.The council will play Mr Rudd’s speech and have a pledge book for people to sign on the day.Bendigo’s Charlie Knight, a Ngarrindjeri descendant, was stolen as a two-year-old in South Australia.“(It) will be celebrated by a lot of Aboriginal people, I believe, right around the nation of Australia,” he said.“It is going to be a great day for me because it’s the fourth anniversary but it means something to me again.“... Being from the stolen generations it has made me heal inside... talking about it to make people know why this was important to the nation, this national apology.“It is about reconciliation, recognising the Aboriginal people within their own country... and what we are doing today.”Mr Knight said he remembered fondly how indigenous and non-indigenous people came together to mark the apology.He said school students needed to learn about what happened to the stolen generations and indigenous culture.Bendigo mayor Alec Sandner said he was “very proud to support the fourth anniversary” of the sorry speech.“We cannot alter the past, all we can do is recognise that a decision did not come out well and we are acknowledging that and moving forward together,” he said.The display will be at the council’s Bendigo office between 10am and 5pm.