Reclaiming Narratives: Education and the Critique of Religious Practices in Kick the Tin by Doris Kartinyeri

Abstract

Doris Kartinyeri's life story is a powerful and moving example of the trauma and cultural displacement experienced by the Stolen Generations in Australia. Born into the Aboriginal community, she was taken from her family and placed in the Colebrook Children's Home, part of a larger government policy aimed at removing Aboriginal children from their families and assimilating them into white Australian society. This practice left deep scars in the lives of many Aboriginal people. Her time at Colebrook, like that of many other children in similar institutions, involved emotional and physical hardship. Many children experienced loss of identity, connection to culture and separation from their families, which had long-lasting effects on their mental and emotional well-being. Doris would have been subjected to standardized practices designed to strip away her Aboriginal heritage, leaving her to grapple with a sense of cultural displacement. This kind of trauma affected not only her upbringing but also her sense of belonging, identity and self-worth. Her experiences, however, also contributed to her resilience and determination to reconnect with her cultural roots and fight for justice for Aboriginal Australians. The primary aim of the study is to highlight the narrative of Doris Kartinyeri as a significant component of the broader history of the Stolen Generations, illustrating both the anguish of enforced separation and the resilience in the recovery of identity.