What do you know about Australian Aborigines? When did they arrive? Can you describe their life style? How were they treated by white settlers? What were the consequences of white settlement?

Can you describe the context of 1930s? In Europe? Have you already come across the expression Stolen Generation? Can you guess what it implied?

Rabbit proof-fence • barrière de protection contre les lapins • Why would they need a protection against rabbits? • Do you know what is the importance of the fence in the movie?

The stolen generations Between 1910 and 1970 up to 100,000 Aboriginal children were taken forcibly ( de force) from their families by police or welfare ( des services sociaux) officers. Most were under 5 years old. There was rarely any judicial process. To be Aboriginal was enough. They are known as the ‘Stolen Generations’. What happened to them? Most were raised ( élevés) in Church or state institutions. Some were fostered ( foster family  famille d’accueil) or adopted by white parents. Many suffered physical and sexual abuse (mauvais traitements). Food and living conditions were poor. They received little education, and were expected to go into low grade domestic and farming work. Why were they taken? They were taken because it was Federal and State Government policy that Aboriginal children especially those of mixed Aboriginal and European descent (descendance)- should be removed ( enlevés)from their parents. Between 10 and 30% of all Aboriginal children were removed, and in some places these policies continued into the 1970s. The main motive was to ‘assimilate’ Aboriginal children into European society over one or two generations by denying and destroying their Aboriginality. Speaking their languages and practising their ceremonies was forbidden. They were taken miles from their country, some overseas ( à l’étranger). Parents were not told where their children were and could not trace them. Family visits were discouraged or forbidden; letters were destroyed. Children were told that they were orphans. What were the results? The physical and emotional damage to those taken away was profound and lasting: Most grew up in a hostile environment without family ties or cultural identity. The scale ( l’ampleur) of separation also had profound consequences for the whole Aboriginal community - anger, powerlessness and lack of purpose as well as an abiding ( permanent) distrust ( méfiance) of Government, police and officials.

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Between 1910 and 1970 up to 100,000 Aboriginal children were taken forcibly from their families by police or welfare officers.

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Name the police officer.

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Constable Riggs Come for the three girls, Maude. NO! This is my kids! MINE! It's the law, Maude. (Screams) No! Got no say in it. No! Mine! (AII yell)

Move one inch and I'll lock your mother up! Neville's their legal guardian. MOLL Y: Get away from us! Go! No! Daisy! (Cries) Give me back my Daisy! RIGGS You sit up and you stay! I've got the papers, Maude! Don't take them! No! You've got no say in it! (Screams) No! (Cries) Hear this - don't move! (WAILING) Nothing you can do here,old girl! (Speaks Aboriginal language) Nothing you can do. (Maude screams) Leave them! (Wails) (MUSIC INTENSIFIES) (SILENCE) (Women wail)

Most were under 5 years old. There was rarely any judicial process. To be Aboriginal was enough. They are known as the ‘Stolen Generations’.

What’s the name of the youngest girl? Daisy

Most were raised in Church or state institutions. Some were fostered or adopted by white parents. Where exactly? Moore River Settlement

Many suffered physical and sexual abuse. Food and living conditions were poor. What happens to Olive? Describe what they eat

Olive: The supervisor points at the scissors the sister is holding. Olive’s head is shaved and she is whipped/ flogged. She has to remain in solitary confinement ( she’s locked in the boob) Food: The writer describes her first breakfast “as a plate of weevily porridge, bread and dripping washed down by a mug or a tin of lukewarm, sweet, milky, tea”

• They received little education, and were expected to go into low grade domestic and farming work. • What type of activities do they have? Singing, sewing, praying, sweeping the floor

The main motive was to ‘assimilate’ Aboriginal children into European society over one or two generations by denying and destroying their Aboriginality. Who explains this theory? Describe the scene. Mr Neville explains the theory ( slideshow/ magic lantern) NEVILLE: As you know,every Aborigine born in this State comes under my control. Notice, if you will,the half-caste child. And there are everincreasing numbers of them. Now, what is to happen to them? Are we to allow the creation of an unwanted third race? Should coloureds be encouraged to go back to the black? Or should they be advanced to white status and be absorbed in the white population? Now, time and again, I'm asked by some white man, "If I marry this coloured person, "will our children be black?" And as Chief Protector of Aborigines, it is my responsibility to accept or reject those marriages. Here is the answer. Three generations. Half-blood grandmother. Quadroon daughter. Octoroon grandson. Now, as you can see, in the third generation, or third cross, no trace of native origin is apparent. The continuing infiltration of white blood finally stamps out the black colour. The Aboriginal has simply been bred out.

Speaking their languages and practising their ceremonies was forbidden

Who forbids them to do so? Miss Jessop: Here. Take it. Put these on. Come on. Get dressed. This is your new home. We don't use that jabber here. You speak English. Guard: We'll have no wangka here! You talk English! Now eat! EAT! Or I'll hold your nose and force it down you!

They were taken miles from their country, some overseas . Distance between Jigalong and the settlement 1200 miles  1900 km

Parents were not told where their children were and could not trace them. Family visits were discouraged or forbidden; letters were destroyed. What does the Aboriginal lady crying outside Mr Neville’s office want? Mary Wilson's applying for permission to visit her child at Moore River. She's quite agitated.

Children were told that they were orphans Molly wants to know who the babies’ mothers are, what is Martha’s answer? Those babies - where their mothers? They got no mothers. Nobody here got any mothers. I got mother.

• Most grew up in a hostile environment without family ties or cultural identity. Show signs of hostile environment in the movie. The dormitory is locked ( with a padlock). There is no bathroom , only a bucket, and the beds are merely camp beds

The scale of separation also had profound consequences for the whole Aboriginal community - anger, powerlessness and lack of purpose as well as an abiding distrust of Government, police and officials. How does the mother immediately react to the arrival of the police car? She tells the girls to run away

2) Fill in the blanks using the following words: Emotional ( émouvant, plein d’émotion), long, forty, apology, society On 13th February 2008 The Australian government took the long overdue ( tardif/ qui se fait

attendre) step of apologising to the ‘stolen generation’ of Aborigines. The policy of integrating mixed-race children into white society started in 1910 and only ended in 1969. Nearly forty years after it ended, newly-elected Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made the formal apology in a parliament address on February 13, 2008. Christine King from the Stolen Generations Alliance said February 13 was an extremely significant ( important)and emotionalday. She said "Older people thought they would never live to see it, so it's very important.” 3) True/ False:

Australia’s government has apologised to its indigenous population

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The policy of integrating mixed-race children into white society ended in 1989 W February 13 was an emotional day R

Older Aborigines knew they would live to hear the apology

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I move: Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land , the oldest continuing cultures in human history. We reflect on their past mistreatment. We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were stolen generations - this blemished chapter in our nation's

history. The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia's history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future. We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians. We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their

families, their communitiesy and their country. For the pain, suffering and hurt of these stolen generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry. To the

mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry. And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.

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We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation. For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be

written. We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians. A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again. A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.

A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed. A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve

and mutual responsibility. A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia.

1. take the long overdue ( en retard)step 2 removed from their parents and adopted 3. youngsters were forcibly removed from 4. The idea was to breed out ( rayer du patrimoine génétique)‫‏‬ 5. it would be a bridge

a. their mothers and fathers b. and emotional day

6. an extremely significant

f. the Aboriginal colour

c. of apologizing

d. to the future e. by white families

Pair Work 1. Who are the stolen generations? 2. What did you think of the movie? 3. What did you think of the scene where Mr Neville says no? 4. Do you think Australia‟s policy amounted to ( être équivalent à) ethnic cleansing ( nettoyage ethnique)? 5. Why do you think it took so long to make an apology to Aborigines? 6. Why is the word „sorry‟ important as part of the apology? 7. What could the apology mean to a nonIndigenous Australian? 8. Do you think the Aborigines should also receive financial compensation ( indemnisation)? 9. What do you think the world thought of Australia‟s policy of taking Aboriginal children and giving them to white families? 10. “we shouldn‟t apologise when many Aboriginal people are actually better off because they were removed from dysfunctional families”

1. Why were Aboriginal children taken away ( enlevés)from their families? 2. What did you think of the forced removal scene? 3. What are your feelings about the Stolen Generation? 4. Was it important to apologise to the stolen generations? 5. Did you like the Prime Minister‟s speech? 6. Do you agree with Australia‟s Opposition Leader who said that petrol prices were more important than the apology to Aborigines? 7. What do you think the adults who were stolen from their families decades ago think of the Australian government‟s apology? 8. Will the apology really be a “bridge to the future”? 9. Have you ever heard about any similar policy in France? 10.Comment on “Australians today shouldn‟t apologise for something they aren‟t directly responsible for”

Use the simple form of the verb. The simple form is the infinitive without the "to." The simple form of the verb "to go" is "go.”

It is crucial that you be there before Tom arrives. Negative Examples: The boss insisted that Sam not be at the meeting. Passive Examples: Jake recommended that Susan be hired immediately. Continuous Examples: It is important that you be standing there when he gets off the plane. Should The doctor recommended that she should see a specialist about the problem. “We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation”. The Prime Minister demands that the Aboriginal community accept( to accept ) his apology The Aborigines demand that the reforms be ( to be) implemented. The Conservatives request that the Prime Minister focus ( to focus) on other issues.

Conjonction  Introduit une subordonnée ( S+ V+ C)

Préposition Introduit un groupe nominal

As: comme; Since: puisque; For: car because: parce que As he’s already been to Australia, I asked his advice about flights Since you speak English, could you call this hotel for me? He got a standing ovation, for it was a great performance

Because of= à cause de; for= pour, owing to, due to, on account of = en raison de, à cause de Owing to a technical fault, the ferry is delayed They arrived late due to the storm He’s been sentenced to life imprisonment for killing several people

For the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry. They say sorry because (to break up) they broke up families and communities And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry. They say sorry due to (to inflict) Their having inflicted indignity and degradation the indignity and degradation that they inflicted We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments They apologise as (to enforce ) Parliaments and governments had enforced unfair laws and policies. We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. They apologise owing to (to remove ) their having removed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children

• La forme s'utilise pour parler de l'irréel, du non accompli (hypothèses, souhaits, préférences). • On le trouve en particulier après if, if only, to wish, 'd rather, 'd better, it's (high) time, as if. • Be au preterit modal n'a que la forme 'were' à toutes les personnes

It’s high time the government apologised (to apologise) to the Stolen Generations.

It’s high time the government implemented(to implement) reforms to bridge the gap between Aborigines and white Australians.

• The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia’s history by righting the wrongs of the past. • We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.

 exprimer la manière ( réponse à la question comment?) by + Ving

A la fin du XIXe siècle, la thèse selon laquelle les Aborigènes formaient une race inférieure condamnée à s'éteindre recueillait un large consensus. On estime officiellement qu'au cours du siècle passé, au nom d ’une politique d’assimilation, plus de 100 000 enfants aborigènes ont été retirés à leurs familles et tribus, souvent de force, pour être placés dans des institutions et des familles d'accueil où la pratique de leur langue et de leur culture leur fut expressément interdite. Original text: In the late 19th century the theory that the Aborigines were an inferior race that was doomed to die out became accepted as fact.

In its name it is officially estimated that, over the course of the last century, over a hundred thousand Indigenous children were taken from their families and tribes - often forcibly - and raised in institutions and foster families where they would pointedly not be allowed their language or culture.