Marita Ah Chee
Marita AhChee was born in Aileron, Alice Springs. Her mother was an Anmetjere and her father was an Irishman. She was taken from her home when she was 6 years old. Her mother tried to hide her, but she was found and taken. She was taken to a Altunga mission, where she was taught to cook and clean. She was not allowed to speak her native language and therefore forgot her language and traditions. As she got older she was lucky enough to find a job (now in her twenties), as baby sitter in Alice Springs. An unone person told her mum she was in town. Her mum came and knocked on every door, her next door neighbour said to try this house and lucky enough, it was Marita AhChee's house. When Marita opend the door she knew straight away that the lady standing in front of her was in fact her mother. They stood staring at each other in disbelief, the cried and huged. But nothing could make up for the 14 years Marita had been away from her mother at the mission.
Where Marita was born
CECIL BOWDEN
Cecil Bowden was born in Cowra in 1939. He was taken away as a baby and put in to a mission. His father was a drover and his mother died when he was very young. His father was at war when the Aboriginal Welfare Board stormed in and took all ten of his children. He was taken to Bomaderry, at Nowra with his older sister and younger brother. When his father came back from war and found out that his children had been taken. He went straight to Bomaderry and tried to get his children back but they refused to release his children. By the time Cecil got older he had forgotten all about his father. When he was old enough to get a job he went down to sydney and got an apprenticeship in plumbing. He was on his way home when a bloke came up to him and asked if he was Cecil Brown. This 'bloke' was infact his brother, George. Cecil didn't think he had any other sibling other then the ones he was with at bomaderry. A similar thing happened again with his brother Ernie. They met in a pub. Ernie asked if he would like to meet his father. At the mission, Cecil was told that his parents had died either that or his parents didn't want him. But Cecil wanted to see his long lost fater so he left his apprentiship and went to Cowra, where Eirnie said his father lives. He came round and spent a good amout of time with his father. He found out later that him, his father, and his brothers and sisters were also taken. It’s not a stolen generation. It’s generation after generation.
WHERE CECIL WAS BORN
THE GOVERNMENT
The Government thought that the Aboriginal children would be better off away from their birth parents and put into white society. The did this because they believed that Indigenous parents were not looking after their children well, they totally ignored indigenous culture. As a result the Government took around 50 thousand Indigenous children and put them into missions or foster homes. They taught the girls how to cook, clean, and take care of them selves. They taught the boys to be labours and how to work. The Government was convinced that Aboriginal people would die out in three generations because the Aboriginal people had children with white people. After the children turned 18 they were released and many tried to find their parents. Some were told that their parents were dead when in fact they weren't, this caused many to suffer depression, alcohol and drug adiction.