Karen Davy is the chief executive officer of the Leeton and District Local Aboriginal Land Council and believes that should be the case.

She believed the day needed to be more widely marked and supported across the entire country.  “It is important this day, as well as other important days of remembrance are observed, but not just by Aboriginal people, by everyone,” Mrs Davy said. 

“For some it could be a morning tea at your office or business and having a discussion about what the day represents. This is Australia and the true history can be an uncomfortable truth for some.

“I believe if everyone in the community pauses (on this day) and thinks for a moment about the long-term effects of trauma and displacement that occurred for those of the Stolen Generation, that will be a strong beginning towards healing.”

National Sorry Day is officially marked each year on May 26. It is an event to remember and commemorate the mistreatment of the country's Indigenous population through government policies that resulted in initiatives like the Stolen Generation. 

Parkview Public School participates in the event annually, with National Sorry Day then leading into National Reconciliation Week. The school will hold a reconciliation walk and breakfast on Tuesday. 

Mrs Davy was hopeful more residents would become educated about why these events were held each year. “There are sections of the wider community that still don’t believe the Stolen Generation actually occurred,” she said. 

“There was a perception these children were taken because they weren’t loved or they weren’t being cared for, but this was rarely the case. These children were taken because they were Aboriginal. (Sorry Day) highlights that these atrocities did happen.

“People still have a connection to what happened and it still hurts. What happened was horrific for so many people. It harmed generations and continues to do so today because of inter-generational trauma.”