The Aboriginal Population And The Indigenous Australian Population

By the mid 1800's, the violence, disease and dispossession resulting from colonisation had caused a dramatic drop in the Indigenous population. For many Indigenous people, the cost of survival was very high, as they lost their culture, family, land, language and independence in the name of 'protection'.

Particularly, the long-term emotional trauma caused to the Indigenous community is traced back through the dark history of many

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have faced disadvantages in various areas, particularly housing. The disadvantages these people face now are the result of policies introduced by the European settlers, then the government. The policies introduced were protection, assimilation, integration and self-determination. It is hard to understand the housing disadvantages faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people if their history is not known.

Social justice is the equitable distribution of health care in a societal responsibility. This can be best achieved by letting a central agency, generally the government, take over the production and distribution functions.

Over the past 230 years, Aboriginals have protested in many different ways to gain rights, which they believe they are deserving of. Through aims of what they wanted to achieve, the processes they went through brought them disappointment over the poor results of some actions and pleasure over the success of others. Over those years, very few periods of protest have been as revelational or effective as the protests occurring between 1938 and 1972. During this period many different groups of Aboriginals have fought for the common cause of being recognised as people rather than interferences caught in the midst of Australians expansion as a nation.

Historical trauma is a concept that refers to the wounding of generations due to traumatic experiences such as boarding schools, forced displacement, and genocide. Responses to this distress manifest in a number of social issues. For example, alcoholism and substance abuse could be recognized as attempts to numb unresolved grief. Other manifestations of emotional responses to this trauma include abuse, depression, domestic violence, and suicide. A framework for understanding the effects of historical trauma on communities is provided by Evans-Campbell (2008) in her article, “Historical Trauma in American Indian and Native American Communities”. These three levels include individual-level impacts, family-level impacts, and community-level impacts.

Health justice is a broad term. For me it means that everyone is able to receive health care despite where they are, what their background is, and how much money they have. Although this is the case, the current world health system isn’t like this. Health care is not as accessible as it should be. Many poorer, developing countries are still facing shortages of health care clinics in their area. The people in the world who do have health care, on the other hand, are the ones who are well off and have more money. Thankfully, due to the efforts of many different individuals and organizations, the healthcare system is slowly shifting over to where we want it to be. Not saying that it is perfect, we still have a long ways to go before we are able to create total health justice, but we are on our way for a world with health care that everyone is able to access and get the proper care they deserve.

This notion of social justice views “assurance of the essential condition” for the well-being of humans as the means of government (Gostin, 535). As well it dissuades the idea that individuals are or should pursue their own self interest, but moreso furthers the approach of redistributing “social and economic goods” equal to everyone (Gostin, 535). This connects to the right to health. The right to health is an inclusive right, contains individual freedoms, contains entitlements, the attainability of goods without any discrimination and that these goods are available, accessible, acceptable and of substantial quality (The Right to Health, 7). This being addressed by recognizing the health disparities that inhibit from the right to health and finding the means or solutions to overcome them. The African American Health coalition has dedicated their time and resources to ensure that individuals within their target population are receiving and being provided adequate care and their right to health is not compromised by health disparities. The specific issues that they are currently directing their efforts into are brownfields, lead paint, limited healthy food choices, violence and criminal activity, lower socioeconomic status, low education levels, high population turnover, unhealthy lifestyle choices, and poverty (Common Ground Health). These factors are the core issues of social

The Discrepancy of life expectancy between aboriginal and non-aboriginal people sadly, I think is always going to be there. It is just the way things are. The improper living conditions for aboriginal people on many of these northern reserves in Canada. The lack of opportunity for aboriginal people to seek fulfilment in their lives and seek to grow as people. The racism that aboriginal people face on a day-to-day basis. The impact of the past of residential schools and segregations hospitals has on aboriginal people today. The impact that Segregation and assimilation of aboriginal people into western society had on aboriginal people is revisable. I think these conditions all affect the discrepancy between non-aboriginal people in Canada and

INDENT is a culturally aware organisation that prides itself on working across cultural barriers. INDENT recognises the challenges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are faced with and acknowledges the impact past government Australian policy has affected our Nation’s Indigenous people. We do this by: • Working with community Elders to implement and help guide us with our programs, community Elders are encouraged to attend our programs and interact with children • Our programs are based on promoting positive Aboriginal identity • Zero tolerance policy in regards to racism, stereotyping or biased behaviour or comments • Work with Interpreters to overcome language limitations.

History has unveiled the early contacts of colonization from the Europeans that set motion to cultural oppression and exclusion of the Aboriginal communities (Kirmayer, Tait, Simpson & Simpson, 2009). The introduction of the residential school system was meant to eliminate the indigenous people’s cultural heritage and way of life, creating a historical trauma. As a result, survivors of the residential school system left the majority of the Aboriginal population without a sense of cultural heritage, lack of self-esteem, and depression (Gone, 2010). Aboriginal culture was suppressed, breaking the connection of traditional knowledge from parent to child (Kirmayer, Tait, Simpson & Simpson, 2009). Trans-generational trauma of the Aboriginal people has left psychologically and physically damage towards their own heritage (Gray & Nye, 2001).

One of the great untold truths of Australian history has been the courageous contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to the Australian Defence Force. For decades this contribution was unacknowledged and their sacrifices were unmentioned at official ceremonies.” Alistair Nicholson, Reconciliation Australia (2014).

Colonialism in Australia places a detrimental threat to the health of Indigenous Australians. Inherent in colonialism were scientific racisms, institutional racism and structural violence. These factors continues to persist in the fabric of Australian society today and limits the life chances of Indigenous Australians. This essay illuminates colonialism as a major contributor to the social marginalisation and low socioeconomic status experienced by indigenous Australian. An analysis of Aboriginal infant mortality rate, a health indicator highlights the difference between biomedical and sociological approach and the embedded negative impact of social marginalisation and low socioeconomic status on the health of Indigenous Australians. The

The incidence rates varied depending on the type of cancer. Non-indigenous people had higher rates for:

The Changing Nature of Aboriginal and Non-aboriginal Relations in Australia from 1946-2000 Since the arrival of Europeans the Aboriginal population has suffered in terms of status, wealth, health and sense of identity. Although there have been steps towards reconciliation there is still a long way to go until Indigenous Australians enjoy the same status as non-indigenous Australians. A referendum was made in 1967, it was a hallmark in Aboriginal history. It was the beginning of the righting of the wrongs that had been committed against the Australian indigenous population since the arrival of white settlers.