This Friday, May 26 is National Sorry Day. Popular Lismore Elder and CWA Cultural Officer Aunty Themla James is leading a Sorry Day event at Spinks Park Lismore between 10am and 2pm to acknowledge the Stolen Generation.

May 26 marks the anniversary of the 'Bringing Them Home' report tabled in Federal Parliament in 1997. This followed the national inquiry into the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, now known as the Stolen Generations.

The report revealed the extent of forced removals and its damaging effects on individuals, families, communities and culture.

National Sorry Day also acknowledges the strength of Stolen Generation survivors and reflects on how we can all share the healing process together.

The Lismore CWA, Lismore City Council, YWCA, Rekindling the Spirit, Ngulingah and Rous Water are supporting the Lismore event that includes:

• Meet and talk with Elders
• Craft & Plant Stalls
• Free books for children
• Storytelling
• Live music
• Cake stall
• Spinks Park history hunt

As well as an Aboriginal Elder Aunty Thelma has been a primary school teacher, she talked to the Lismore App about Sorry Day and what will happen on the day.

"We've got a timetable. We've got talks to be over and done with, there are high school students from Richmond River, Kadina and Lismore High that will do a welcome dance and then be part of a mandala flower workshop. So, each group will add a bit more so it continues to grow."

"We've got the Friends of the Koala, who will talk about koalas in their habitat and why we should look after them and then we'll go for a hunt, the CWA ladies have made all these burbi's (Bundjalung word for koala) that we're going to put in the trees."

"There will be other (Bundjalung) words all around the place in Spinks Park and there will be three songs performed on the day by a choir made up from five primary schools in the area. My Brown Skin Baby by Bob Randall, he's actually the child taken away from his mother. Then we've got Inannay which is a Yothu Yindi lullaby and We Are One by The Seekers which will be done in sign."

"Kids will go around the park and learn the history of it. There are a lot of little plaques with all different people and cultures."

"There will be a writing table for people to write poetry or words that they can put on the memory wall which will be near the rotunda or they can write a thank you card and give it to some senior person there at the park."

"You will notice a lot of the colour mauve on Friday, that is the colour for compassion and a lot of the school kids will make flowers before they come."

"Lucy will do the library and storytelling with other people to join in and every child gets a book, beautiful brand new books donated by a group in Melbourne."

"Murray Roberts is going to bring some native plants, it's all about native plants and trees, there will be some for sale and some for show."

"There will be live music from Jubb and Luke Vasella. We will have an elder's tent where Karen will perform some nice songs that the elders can sing along too, there is face painting and weaving as well."

Aunty Thelma James said there was a theory in teaching that you always gave children something they can do, something they can leave and something they can learn. That will definitely be the case on Friday at Spinks Park on Molesworth Street between 10am and 2pm when Lismore acknowledges Sorry Day.