"I knew I had a life out there with family but I just couldn't get to it".
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The words of stolen generations survivor and Wiradjuri woman Aunty Violet West silenced the crowd at a National Sorry Day event at Dubbo on Wednesday.
The 88-year-old, known to all as Aunty Vi, told up to 300 people who had gathered at No 2 Oval in Victoria Park about the 12 years she spent at the Cootamundra Domestic Training Home for Aboriginal Girls.
READ ALSO:
Snatched from a mission near Peak Hill at the age of about six years, she was told she was going on a "holiday".
On arrival at the home she called a "hellhole", Aunty Vi was told "nobody wanted you".
"But that wasn't right,' she said after telling of two sisters and two brothers also being taken away.
Members of the crowd wiped away tears as Aunty Vi recounted her life as a "slave" at the home from where she got all the "dirty" jobs as punishment for "standing up for myself".
Worse still, when she turned 18 years old and was allowed to leave the home, the family she longed for was comprised of strangers.
"When I did leave to come home I did not know my family," Aunty Vi said.
National Sorry Day is held on May 26 each year to remember and acknowledge the mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed from their families and communities.
The event at Dubbo was organised by the Dubbo Regional Aboriginal Health Service (DRAHS) with support from about 26 community service providers.
It balanced accounts of trauma with uplifting cultural experiences including a smoking ceremony, indigenous dancing and games, painting and footy for youngsters.
"It's about healing and working as one because that's really important for our people," said DRAHS' Phil Carney.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News