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Media Release
For Immediate
Release – 19 September 2007
SNAICC statement from
the first day of the 2007 SNAICC National Conference.
Largest
national conference on Indigenous children opened today
The largest ever national conference on Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander children opened in Adelaide today with speakers highlighting
the importance of culture and having a sense of belonging to Indigenous
children’s welfare and wellbeing.
700 delegates from across Australia gathered for the National Conference
of the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care
(SNAICC), under the theme ‘Ngadluko Ngartunnaitya
– For Our Children’.
“Today’s speakers have an important message about the
importance of culture and the resilience of Indigenous peoples for
all of us working with Indigenous children and families, and especially
also for our governments – state, territory and federal,”
Ms Muriel Bamblett, AM, Chairperson SNAICC said today.
Speakers also highlighted the importance of governments providing
full support to Indigenous child and family services to ensure these
services can effectively support and care for children and to ensure
Indigenous children have the same opportunities that other children
have.
“We welcome comments by Mr Tom Calma reminding everyone that
the reality of Australia’s Stolen Generations is not a thing
of the past,” Ms Bamblett said. Mr Calma, the Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, marked the 10th
anniversary of the Bringing Them Home report in his keynote
speech.
“Commissioner Calma highlighted the importance of the need
for healing for Indigenous families and for preventative measures
such as housing, child protection programs and schools, something
that he remarked is not a feature of the Government’s intervention
in the Northern Territory,” Ms Bamblett said.
International guest speaker, Cindy Blackstock of the Gitksan Nation
in Canada, challenged the governments of both Canada and Australia,
as both G8 countries with huge surpluses, to meet their obligations
to Indigenous children as some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged
of their nations.
“Indigenous people already have the answers to deal with the
challenges we face. Governments must ensure that Indigenous organisations
are fully funded and supported to deliver services that we know
Indigenous children and families need,” Ms Blackstock said.
Ms Blackstock, Executive Director of the First Nations Child and
Family Caring Society of Canada, has also written to Australian
Prime Minister John Howard asking him on what evidence the federal
government’s emergency intervention in the Northern Territory
is based.
The Conference also saw the release of SNAICC’s new publication
to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Bringing Them Home, the
report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families. The book
was released this morning by former SNAICC Chairperson Brian Butler,
who spearheaded the campaign for the Inquiry to be held, during
his keynote speech this morning.
Contributors to the publication, ‘Remember Me’ –
Commemorating the tenth anniversary of the Bringing Them Home report,
including Brian Butler, Tom Calma, Professor Larissa Behrendt of
University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), Professor Anna Haebich of
Griffith University, SNAICC Chairperson Muriel Bamblett, Rosie Baird
of Karu Link-Up in Darwin, and UTS law lecturer Terri Libesman,
have shared their reflections and recollections on the National
Inquiry, how its report was received by the Australian public and
government, and the continuing need for healing and a national apology.
SNAICC’s National Conference continues at Adelaide Convention
Centre on Thursday 20 and Friday 21 September 2007.
SNAICC is the national non-government peak body for Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander children and their families.
For media comment:
Ms Muriel Bamblett
– SNAICC Chairperson (03) 9489 8099.
For media inquiries
and information:
Mark Lawrence,
SNAICC Conference Media Liaison: 03 9489 8099
More information on the
National Conference is available on the SNAICC
Conference page.
You
can download the full text pdf version of this media release here
(64 KB)
SNAICC Conference links
and resources
More
information on 2007 SNAICC Conference
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