Aboriginal History WA (AHWA) is encouraging the public to learn about their Indigenous ancestry after the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Ben Wyatt gained access to his own family records.
The move follows an initiative from the Healing Foundation which recently identified the need for individuals impacted by past Government policies to have access to records about themselves, their families and origins for healing and reconciliation to occur.
The Minister (pictured), whose father was placed at Sister Kate’s, a children’s orphanage in Queens Park, previously accessed his family records to get a greater understanding of his ancestry and connection to country.
The AHWA, a unit in the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, manages access to restricted historical records and provides information in response to requests.
Mr Wyatt said his father was forcibly removed from his family as a child in 1940.
“I only discovered this after his death by accessing family history information from Aboriginal History WA,” Mr Wyatt said.
“It was through this research that I realised he was born in Moore River Native Settlement, not Meekatharra where he said he was born. He never wanted to publicly claim Moore River as his birthplace.”
The Minister said Aboriginal people who were seeking to work out who they were, where they came from and who they were connected to, should seek out their family history.
“It is moving and confronting, but knowing the truth can bring healing and reconciliation which is incredibly important for our lives and nation,” Mr Wyatt said.
