Beyond “Sorry”: Grandmothers Against Removal, Memory Activism and the Struggle for Self-determination

The role of activism in shaping cultural memory has become more prominent within memory studies in the wake of widespread social justice movements globally. In this talk, Rosanne Kennedy examines some of the ways in which Indigenous Australian grandmothers activate memory for social justice in the present, exposing the limits of the discourse of apology and opening new pathways towards more just futures. Working initially within a national framework, Kennedy takes as a case study the Grandmothers Against Removal movement. This local, grassroots movement activates the memory of the landmark 2008 national apology to the Stolen Generations to draw attention to and seek accountability for the high rates of Indigenous child removal in the present.

About

Rosanne Kennedy is an interdisciplinary Humanities scholar who teaches Literature and Gender, Sexuality and Culture at the Australian National University. Working at the intersection of cultural memory studies, trauma studies, feminist theory and human rights, her research explores mediations of memory and testimony in cultural and legal contexts including trials, human rights, memoir, literature, film and visual art.