Central Land Council

A fabulous destination after a long journey

As she talks about the Federal Government’s apology to the Stolen Generations Zita Wallace has the look of a woman who has reached a wonderful destination after a long and trying journey.

It’s a look that mixes relief with joy, fatigue and energy.

“I’ve been involved with Stolen Generations since, I was one of the founders. I was one of the founding members here and it’s been a really long haul,” she said.

Zita has held board member, deputy chair and chair positions with the Stolen Generations in Alice Springs. For her, winning an apology has been a decade-long struggle.
“We want to help our people and their descendants.

“Because they’re the ones that have come through and they’ve got really broken lives. Some of them have got no lives. Their children have got no lives. Their grandchildren have no lives. Because all the hurt has been passed on. Some of the families are so bitter I don’t know if we’re ever going to heal them. So that’s what my mission has been, to try and fix that.

“This started 10 years ago talking about an apology from the government,” she says. “We had no luck at all with the (John) Howard Government. “I lost faith in that man a long time ago.

“When he turned around and also took up the chant of ‘so-called Stolen Generations’, you know, there’s nothing so-called about us.

“We’re recorded in history, every one of us are recorded in history and they actually put us down with the flora and fauna.

“Well, if that’s the way people are going to be then I’d rather be with the flora and fauna."

Zita said there was only one reason why she was removed from her family.

Her father was white and her mother was black.

“No good reason,” she said. “The colour of my skin. I never got to see my father again or my grandparents, they passed on.

“One of the Eastern Arrernte cultures is when a mother loses a child or when they lose anybody that person’s name is never ever mentioned again. It’s a sort of, even a stronger tie when a child dies.

“That child is never ever mentioned again so when I came back as a 42-year-old woman she said, ‘No, my baby’s spirit world. You’re a spirit child. You’re not my daughter. My daughter passed away.’

“I think that’s the only way she could cope with losing me.”

Later, Zita did manage to reignite a relationship with her mother.

“But it took a long time to convince her, if we ever did. I actually had six years with her before she passed away, so I got to see her for six years.”