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Wed 16 April, 2008 00:00

Lorraine Peeters, a member of the Stolen Generations from Queensland who witnessed the apology from the public gallery in Parliament, presented Prime Minister Kevin Rudd with a glass coolamon to thank him for offering the apology to the Stolen Generations.

Following their speeches, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Opposition Leader Dr Brendan Nelson, with Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin, had gone to greet the guests seated in the  visitors’ gallery, including 69-year-old Lorraine Peeters. It was then that she presented the coolamon to Mr Rudd.

Mr Rudd and Dr Nelson then stood together in the parliamentary chamber before handing the gift on to House Speaker Mr Harry Jenkins, who said, “I gratefully receive this gift on behalf of the House. It will represent a very important point in the history of not only this Chamber but our nation.”

It also contained a message to Mr Rudd, on behalf of the Stolen Generations, saying ‘thank you’ for saying ‘sorry’.

The  message also says:

“We have a new covenant between our peoples – that we can do all we can to make sure our children are carried forward, loved and nurtured and able to live a full life.”

Lorraine Peeters is one of eight children removed from her family and community when she was aged four. She is the creator of the Marumali Healing Model. “I was overwhelmed by the whole day,” she said.

“It put closure on everything for me. I have been through my own healing process but nobody had apologised to my own mother and father and community from Warren NSW.”

The beautiful red, black and yellow glass coolamon came from the Warlayirti artists community, Balgo Hills WA. It is currently on public display in Parliament House in Canberra.

By Rosie Elliott, originally published in the April 2008 edition of SNAICC News, SNAICC's quarterly newsletter.

[Photo: Lorraine Peeters presenting the glass coolamon to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in the House of Parlament after the national apology.Photo courtesy of Lorraine Peeters.]