Our+Generation+-+Has+the+colonisation+of+Australia+destroyed+Indigenous+culture+and+doomed+them+for+eventual+death?


 * Name:** Naomi Glover

**Topic **
Social Identities, Physiologies and Human Health: How does being an Indigenous Australian affect their morbidity and mortality?

**Cultural Artefact**
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This artefact divulges into the horrible historical and current status of Indigenous Australians where it specifically discusses that they will never be the same as non-Indigenous people due to a long and horrific history that can never be forgotten. This of course, combined with a lack of involvement to improve a better lifestyle for the Indigenous peoples questions whether they will ever see anything past this and whether they should be questioned and for their current socio-economic position. Their health status, socio-economic position and many other factors are due to a number of issues that are shown in the film and all are as questionable about whether the colonisation of the British has doomed the future of Indigenous Australians.

**Public Health Issue**


The alarming “gap” between Indigenous Australians and non-Indigenous Australians is trying to be repaired by the Government. Although, it begs the question as to how and why it took the Australian Government an extended period of time to finally acknowledge how Indigenous Australians are more at risk for certain diseases, living outcomes and general well being, due to their socio-economic position. It also brings into question why and how Indigenous peoples are still experiencing such health risk factors when most non Indigenous Australians are not, including a disease that most of the world has eradicated except Australia. This public health issue needs to be dealt with immediately and with the support of non-Indigenous Australians, the Australian Government and Indigenous Australians.

** Literature Review **
The literature has alarming information about how Indigenous Australians and non-Indigenous Australians have such an alarming “gap” in their health care. Throughout history, and especially in tie with the cultural artefact, Indigenous Australians have never been treated as equals. This, of course, with other variables such as a lack of distrust with non-Indigenous health researchers hinders opportunities to improve their health performance, accountability and benefits of having health research, therefore ending in a monumental detriment of the health of Indigenous peoples (Johnstone, 2007, p.391). Even though now they are able to correctly understand cultural differences to try and break the gap, but this is taking too slow and not enough Government is behind it to try repair it.

According to a review written for the Lancet Oncology, Indigenous life expectancy is around 17 years less than other Australians with health problems such as poor maternal and child health, infection disease, injury, diabetes and heart disease are the major areas that cause concern as well as high rates of smoking, obesity and other behavioural risk factors (Cunningham, Rumbold, Zhang & Condon, 2008, p.585). This, tied in with a lack of health care provided to the Indigenous Australians could definitely be down to not a lot of education being provided. When the colonisation of Australia happened, the British thrust forward a different perspective and way to how things are done, effectively changing how Indigenous Australians looked after their children for future generations. Of course, not being as educated for a number of generations due to differences and a great cultural divide would have a serious effect as to how Indigenous Australians are living today.



Due to most Indigenous Australians living in rural and remote areas from non-Australians, there are implications for their accessibility in receiving preventive, diagnostic, curative and palliative service, as well as to basic health infrastructure and economic opportunities (Cunningham etc, 2008, p.586). This is due to branching away from the forced westernised culture and also a number don’t have the socio-economic position to afford living in cities or suburban areas. There is also evidence that psychological distress, such as an unknown socio-economic position, poor health and poor living conditions, is associated with chronic health conditions (Cunningham & Paradies, 2012, p.11). Chronic health conditions in Indigenous communities can be contributed to a poor education and poor living conditions, but the psychological distress put upon them by the westernised culture would definitely introduce these symptoms and problems. Needless to say, none of these health conditions were evident before the settlement, but as people evolve they were always going to become an inevitability.

Indigenous children and youth are extremely disadvantaged on most indices of health and well-being: they have higher rates of health risk behaviours, early school dropout, suicide, involvement with the juvenile justice system, family fragmentation and forced removal of children, and are over-represented in abuse and neglect cases (Richards, Sanders & Turner, 2007, p. 243). With an upbringing that most Indigenous children face; no proper education, a constant confusion of suppressed and misunderstood culture, it is no surprise that a number of Indigenous children face a number of these health risk behaviours. There isn’t a stable community for a number of them and as there is a lack of education, health and a feeling of community, there is no way Indigenous children would be able to stray away from these health risk behaviours. This and combined with a low socio-economic status with the parents, indigenous health, including the well-being of the community and kinship network, cultural continuity, and connection to traditional lands that enables indigenous people to maintain spirituality would hinder health risk behaviours due to an overwhelming feeling of being "disconnected" from their true culture (C, Shepherd, Li & Zubrick, 2012, p.108).



It has come into contention that past history incidents, such as the stolen generation, have had a significant impact on traditional parenting skills and personal coping skills (Richards, Sanders & Turner, 2007, p.243). Although, it is unknown what is “traditional” parenting skills as it may mean traditional non-Indigenous skills or Indigenous parenting skills. All that is known is that the stolen generation had a lot of Indigenous women being forced to do a number of things that were not to do within their culture and effectively could have ruined their future children’s way of life due to poor education. The feeling of these past events would definitely hinder how future events are to evolve with those constant feelings of distrust between Indigenous Australians and non-Indigenous Australians. Even though Kevin Rudd's speech detailing the Nation's deepest sympathies towards these events, nothing truly has been done to fix them. It is known that not a lot can be done overnight, it still has taken them a number of years to come up with the "closing the gap" program and still not make any differences with it.

** Cultural and Social Analysis **
This public health issue is crucially important because it's a way of life for thousands of people. A lot of Australians deal with a number of public health issues such as waiting times at the doctors, waiting times at hospitals and even the divide between public and private sectors of health care, while Indigenous Australians have to deal with none of those issues due to the fact they don't even get the same level of public health care. Indigenous Australians barely receive any or no basic health care, and after years of constant suppression by the people who stole and effectively ruined their natural living lifestyles, it's hard to see in their position that there is a way to change it. Indigenous culture had survived numerous years before the occupation of the British and with the introduction of the western culture, effectively destroying theirs, it brought upon them numerous of years where their way of life is essentially doomed.

Even though western culture was an inevitability, the way in which they integrated western culture into Indigenous culture was to neglect and ignore, not educate and prepare. It created a distinct line between the non-Indigenous and Indigenous peoples and would destroy the trust between the two. Indigenous rights had only been given to them not too long ago with the help of non-Indigenous Australians, but even then, giving them their rights hasn't given them the right to the same type of health care non-Indigenous Australians receive. Generations of Indigenous Australians have been constantly affected due to this and even as far back when they were treated as slaves, nothing has been done to change it. For example, the slavery of African-American peoples in America led to their rights being established and over time given almost the same amount of rights that white Americans receive, but, they are not living in poverty like Indigenous Australians and it questions the Australian Government why they are still living like this. Indigenous people, the Government and even non-Indigenous Australian’s should see this issue as a number one priority to close this gap as soon as possible to prevent any future damage. Damage has already been done from the colonisation and a number of years of neglect and constant suppression of culture.

Family, community and kinship connections are a fundamental part of life and strengthening these relationships can increase resilience in Indigenous communities (Richards, Sanders & Turner, 2007, p.243). This should have been carefully done with building relationships within the Indigenous communities to allow an understanding between the two, instead of harsh culture changes. So now, it is the community and the Australian Governments job to give back and fix to ensure a better living lifestyle for all.

**Analysis of the Artefact and your own Learning Reflections**
This film has a horrible insight into how Indigenous Australians are being treated today and in most Indigenous communities, how their living conditions are not even up to standards to what most non-Indigenous Australians may expect today. The video made me quite distressed about how western culture, the culture than I live in today has ruined another culture and essentially people’s lives with no effort to try fix it. In the video, a clan leader specifically talks about how people in her community don’t know and understand how to live because their culture is suppressed and the non-Indigenous people won’t educate them how to live via their western standards. This to me, was just saddening because if I were personally grown up in a place where I was told to do one thing and didn’t understand how to do it because I was never taught, it would like trying to read or write when you have no teacher or person to help you. The artefact was very eye opening, making me understand that peoples cultures and even extending to religion, is of course their own business and should be their own choice to believe in it, not have someone dictate how they should live. I was recently able to attend an opening of a small community centre for people of all cultures to come together and during the opening many speeches made by Aboriginal Elders, Maori Elders and ceremonies such as a Welcome to Country ceremony was presented. It made me almost saddened to realise that most of their speakings included the loss of family, the loss of culture and the feeling of just constant loss devastated me since no one should ever live this way or be dictated to live this way. This artefact was beneficial in educating me on this topic and gave me a better understanding of how and why Indigenous Australians are this way due to a number of horrible historical moments.

**Reference List**
C, C., Shepherd, J., Li, J., & Zubrick, S. R. (2012). Social Gradients in the Health of Indigenous Australian. //American Journal of Public Health//, 107-117.

Cunningham, J., & Paradies, Y. C. (2012). Socio-demographic factors and psychological distress in Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian adults aged 18-64 years: anaylsis of national survey data. //BMC Public Health//, 2-15.

Cunningham, J., Rumbold, A. R., Zhang, X., & Condon, J. (2008). Incidence, aetiology, and outcomes of cancer in Indigenous peoples in Australia. //Lancet Oncol//, 585-595.

Johnstone, M.-J. (2007). Research ethic, reconciliation, and strengthening the research relationship in Indigenous health domains; An Australian perspective. //Internation Journal of intercultural Relations//, 391-406.

Turner, K. M., Richards, M., & Sanders, M. R. (2007). Randomised clinical trial of a group parent education programme for Australian indigenous families. //Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health// (43), 243-251.