Once removed from their parents the indigenous children were instructed to reject their indigenous heritage and were made to adapt themselves to white culture. Along with this their names were changed and they were forbidden to speak their traditional language. Despite some children being adopted by white families, many were placed in institutions where they were abused and neglected. The process of Assimilation focused primarily on children whom authorities considered to be more adaptable into white society rather than indigenous adults. Children of mixed white and indigenous parentage were the biggest targets for removal as their lighter skin meant that they could be more efficiently integrated into the white community. 70 When child removal policies were put in place white Australians believed that they would be improving the lives of indigenous Australians by helping them integrate themselves into white society, however this was not the case and indigenous Australians were (and still are) marginalised. They were rejected by society as they refused to accept indigenous people as equals despite their efforts to suppress their culture and race. 71 Despite the practice of the ideology of Assimilation happening before the 1948 Genocide Convention, the removal of indigenous children from their parents continued far beyond the passing of the convention, and despite the exclusion of cultural genocide in the final draft of the Genocide Convention, as mentioned previously there is a part that states: ‘Forcible transfer of childre n, imposed by direct force or through fear of violence, duress, detention, psychological oppression or other methods of coercion’ is considered to be an act of Genocide, along with evidence of the ‘widespread and/or systematic discriminatory and targeted practices culminating in gross violations of human rights of protected groups, such as
70 Australianstogether.org 71 Australianstogether.org
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