Station 4

You died, we cried, same as always (still from digital video). Image courtesy of the artist.

The statement, “You died, we cried, same as always” alludes to the experience of losing a loved one we grieved for long before they finally pass away.

I had this experience with my own mother. She was one person among the many that is the Stolen Generations. The way she lived her life was typical of someone who did not manage to find healthy ways to confront the traumatic impact of these policies. I always knew she was going to die young. I also knew, as a woman that one day I might also be a mother. I wonder how my Grandmother felt when her baby was taken. I wonder how my adoptive grandmother felt when her daughter put herself in harms way. I wonder about the difficulties my grandmothers had in raising their children when white settlers first came to their country.