'Sorry Speech And No More Boomerang'

During the National week of Reconciliation [May 27-June 3], Australians reflect on the past issues to do with the Aboriginals and European settlement. I believe that these three texts should be included in your exhibition for Reconciliation Week. These texts are “The Rabbits” [2000] written by Shaun Tan and John Marsden, Kevin Rudd’s “Sorry Speech” [2008] and “No More Boomerang” [2002], written by Kath Walker. These three text have a significant meaning and recognize the significance of the British Invasion and the damage the invasion caused to the aboriginals and the aboriginal community.

“The Rabbits” by Shaun Tan and John Marsden, shows how the Aboriginals slowly, overtime lost their land to the British. In this story it shows the dispossession
He was trying to heal the relationship between the Aboriginals and the European and Australians (white people). Kevin Rudd used many different techniques throughout the speech to show how he wanted to reconcile the relationship throughout the speech. He used words such and ‘we’ to show how he was addressing the nation as a whole. During the speech his voice would change his voice between various tones such as respect, disappointment and sad, and a reflective tone of voice. He did this to make sure everyone knew that he was truly sorry for the way that the aboriginals were treated. In one particular section of the speech Rudd references the past of a woman called, Nanna Nungala Fejo. Kevin Rudd had gone to visit her to learn about her experiences growing up during the time of the “Stolen Generation”. In the visit to Rudd she tells him how she forgave the British for what they had done and how what they had done was a very big mistake and that separation from her family and friends was very traumatic. But she was able to overcome all the hardship and forgive the British. This speech is the perfect example on how the relationship between the Aboriginals and the Europeans can be healed through one person's actions (in this example, a speech). It shows how we should forgive everyone for what they have done and how everyone in
Kath walker was apart of the stolen generation, she would write poems about her experiences during this time. The poem depicts how the aboriginals were not allowed to hunt, use boomerangs or spears, they were forced to become civilised like the Europeans were.Her poem ‘No more Boomerang’ showed her perspective of what life was like during that time. She would repetitively use the words “no more” to show how the Aboriginals had to become civilised and leave their old life behind and become like the Europeans. She would also use the words “now we” over and over. These words show how they were getting forced to become something that they did not want to be. They had to live a fake life pretending to be something that they were forced to be. Kath Walker compares the difference between the European settlers and the Aboriginals, she compares the technology and utilities that the europeans bring to what the aboriginals use. For example, Walker uses the the words “no more firesticks” which references how the aboriginals would use fire to produce their light and heat. She also says “now all electric”, this shows how the europeans brought new technology that was life changing for the people who lived in australia. The only downside to this new technology is that all the Aboriginals had to conform to what the europeans wanted them to use. This poem showed us how the Europeans changed australia for the aboriginals. that all the