1. Australia to apologize to Aborigines
THE ARTICLE:
Australia to apologize to Aborigines
This policy of integrating mixed-race children into white society started in 1910 and only ended in Forty years after it ended, newly-elected Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will make the formal apology in a parliament address on February 13. Indigenous affairs minister Jenny Macklin said it would be a “bridge to the future”.
The Australian government has said it will take the long overdue step of apologizing to the "stolen generation" of Aborigines. The “stolen generation” means the 10,000 Aboriginal children who were forcibly removed from their parents and adopted by white families. Babies, toddlers and youngsters were often snatched from their mother’s arms or secretly kidnapped.
The idea was to “breed out” the Aboriginal color, which was based on the belief that Aborigines were a doomed race.

2. Aborigines were delighted with the historic news
Aborigines were delighted with the historic news. Christine King from the Stolen Generations Alliance said February 13 would be an extremely significant and emotional day. She said: "Older people thought they would never live to see it, so it's very important." The wording of the apology has been agreed with indigenous leaders and is being kept under wraps. It is not known whether Mr. Rudd will say the word "sorry", a subject of much controversy. All previous governments refused to make an apology for destroying the lives of so many Aborigine children and families. They believed it was impossible to say sorry for actions of the past. Australia’s opposition party leader, Brendan Nelson, echoed the policy of previous governments by saying rising petrol and food prices were more important than the apology.

3. WARM-UPS
Talk about anything that you know about Australia, including its people, tourist destinations and its culture in general.
Practice using the following words and phrases in your own sentences.
government / apologizing / generations / toddlers / kidnapping / mixed race / historic news / emotional days / indigenous leaders / sorry / opposition parties
3. APOLOGIES: In your own personal experience, who are the people difficult to apologize to? Share stories in the past when you had to apologize to these people:
a.    ___ your best friend
b.    ___ a younger brother or sister
c.     ___ the school / office bully
d.    ___your neighbor
e.    ___ the cashier at the checkout counter
in the local supermarket
f.    ___ your partner
g.    ___a parent

4. WARM-UPS
4. NATIONAL APOLOGY: Going back to your national history, give two things that your country needs to apologize for. You may also talk about another country or culture that needs to apologize for a mistake they’ve done in the past, affecting your people.
5. QUICK ROLE PLAY: (Student and teacher must take one side. Each must prove his/her point. Explain why your side is more important.)
Person A strongly believes that all indigenous populations should receive apologies from colonizers; Person B strongly believes that today’s governments shouldn’t have to apologize for the wrongs of previous generations.

5. DISCUSSION 1) What did you think when you read the headline?
2) What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘apology’?
3) What are your feelings about the Stolen Generation?
4) Do you think all indigenous populations should receive apologies from their governments?
5) What do you think indigenous people think about the colonizing races that now govern them?
6) What do you think the world thought of Australia’s policy of taking
Aborigine children and giving then to white families?
8) Do you think Australia’s policy is ethnic cleansing?
9) What do you think the adults who were stolen from their families decades 10) think of the Australian government’s apology plans?
10) Will the apology really be a “bridge to the future”?

6. DISCUSSION - The End- 11) Did you like reading this article?
12) Why do you think it took so long to make an apology to Aborigines?
13) Are the indigenous people in your country treated fairly or are they disadvantaged?
14) Do you think the Aborigines should also receive financial compensation?
15) Have you ever done anything that was tit-for-tat?
16) Do you agree with Australia’s opposition leader that petrol prices are more
important than the apology to Aborigines?
17) What questions would you like to ask one of the Stolen Generation?
18) What do you think his/her answers would be?
19) If you could change one thing about your country’s history, what would it be and why?
20) Did you like this discussion?
- The End-