The journey home Going home is fundamental to healing the effects of separation. The Inquiry found people have many reasons why they need to trace their families. Reunion is important at the very least for discovering information about health and inherited illnesses and for developing intimate relationships. The Inquiry was told many separated children will never go home.
Language barriers can inhibit reunions.
People whose Aboriginality was denigrated in childhood may not want to admit to it. Those who do go home experience a variety of emotions including anxiety and fear. I've seen the old lady four times in my life. She's 86 years old. Then a second later she said, 'You're not my son'.