Legendary First Nations actor and Stolen Generations Survivor Uncle Jack Charles said he has been "retraumatised" after being asked to prove his Aboriginality to receive reparations from the Victorian government.
The Wiradjuri, Boon Wurrung, Dja Dja Wurrung, Woiwurrung and Yorta Yorta man successfully received the first payment of 20 thousand dollars from the Stolen Generations Reparations scheme but said when he applied for the second round 80 thousand dollar payment he was asked the question over the phone.
"Was a bit of a shock ... I was asked to prove my Aboriginality by the committee," he told ABC Radio Melbourne.
"The reason behind that I'm told is that there's been too many people coming into the contacting the reparation mob, claiming to be Aboriginal when perhaps they're not so I took their word for it."
Mr Charles, a widely respected Elder, most recently spoke at the Yoorrook Justice Commission about his stolen childhood, and last year he took part in SBS' series Who Do You Think You Are, where his Wiradjuri father was identified.
He already has established links throughout Victoria and Tasmania.
There is no reference to prove Aboriginality on the government-housed website, which also states that applicants "do not need to prove your removal" and records can be searched by the government with permission.
"It's been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am Aboriginal," he said.
"I am touted as one of the trailblazers on the Aboriginal channels by SBS and NITV up for the National NAIDOC Award on Saturday, and I don't have to prove I am Aboriginal with the NAIDOC Committee.
"It just strikes me that they can't differentiate between people that are taking advantage of the system and myself."
Mr Charles said that he thinks the process undertaken by the Stolen Generations Reparations Committee is "particularly racist" to First Nations people and that it is not their place to ask.
"Indigenous people are the ones who will point the bone and say 'you're not Aboriginal or you don't belong here'," he said.
"I have been retraumatised ... which is very questioning of who I am."
In a statement to NITV News, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice and Community Safety said they "understand the process" may be "confronting and retraumatising" for Stolen Generations Survivors.
"That's why we worked closely with Community to design Victoria’s program to be culturally sensitive and for the onus to be placed on Government rather than applicants to do the work in ascertaining if someone is a member of the Stolen Generation," they said.
