National Sorry Day

National Sorry Day is an annual event that has been held in Australia on 26 May, since 1998, to remember and commemorate the mistreatment of the country's indigenous population. During the 20th century, Australian governments' policies resulted in a "Stolen Generation"—i.e., "Aboriginal children separated, often forcibly, from their families in the interest of turning them into white Australians".

The date 26 May carries great significance for the Stolen Generations, as well as for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and non-indigenous Australians. On 26 May 1997, the Bringing Them Home report was tabled in Parliament.

The annual National Sorry Day commemorations remind and raise awareness among politicians, policy makers, and the wider public about the significance of the forcible removal policies and their impact on the children that were taken, but also on their families and communities.

Background

The 1997 Bringing Them Home report recommended that the Prime Minister apologise to the Stolen Generations. Prime Minister John Howard refused to do so, stating that he "did not subscribe to the black armband view of history".