Stolen Generations funding to support SA healing and community programs
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Funding is now available for Aboriginal communities to build places of healing and establish community programs which support the Stolen Generations in South Australia.
State Aboriginal Affairs Minister Kyam Maher said the $5 million available would help individuals, their families and wider communities.
"Initial consultations have suggested ideas such as art and education programs, healing places, scholarships, recording of history," he said.
"This is the next step; recognising that it's not just individuals but whole families and communities who were affected by the forced removal of Aboriginal children over our history.
"Over the next few years we'll start the projects that people have suggested."
The SA Government said the projects would draw their funding from a Stolen Generations Reparations Scheme Community Fund announced back in 2015.
Aboriginal Engagement Commissioner Frank Lampard said the latest community projects would be a "crucial part of the healing process".
"Having visited a number of communities across the state, I know that people have been waiting for this time to occur," he said.
"They were waiting in the hope that, if they weren't individually receivers of any reparation, then at least they could do something for family, at least they could do something for community.
"Hopefully they will have a place to help them continue that healing."
About 270 people have applied for individual reparations since the initial scheme was launched in 2015, a program allowing payments of up to $50,000.
The next stage of projects will have maximum funding of $100,000 available for each venture.
Topics: stolen-generations, indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, aboriginal, community-and-society, indigenous-policy, adelaide-5000, sa
