Essay: Inequality of health status – aboriginal/non-aboriginal and Torres strait islander people

The inequality of health status between aboriginal and Torres strait islander people and non aboriginal and Torres strait islander people in Australia is a gap that Australian education systems have failed to address. During my time in primary school I never truly learnt the horrific past of the country I call home let alone the troubles that many aboriginal and Torres strait islander people face today. I watched the popular film ‘Rabbit proof fence’ and as a child I found it difficult to understand why young girls and boys just like me were taken away from their families . After my readings, Hampton and Toombs (2013, p. 79.) have helped me understand that children ‘were forcibly removed from their indigenous family for purposes of raising them outside their culture” and that this was a ‘supported’ government policy’ to promote ‘the lifestyles of white Australians’. My progression into high school and maturity allowed my teachers to become more matter of fact with Australia’s dark history. Through my legal studies I have learnt about the principle of native title established in 1992. In my reading Hampton and Toombs (2013, p. 38.) established that native title ‘allowed indigenous groups to claim traditional lands’, whist this was in agreement with my initial learning, Chalmette’s (2000) approach helped challenge my optimistic approach to recognize “that the Native Title Act (1993) was primarily aimed to accommodate and give security to stakeholders, so that Australia’s Indigenous people would not undermine them”. In my 6 years of secondary education, every assembly held each week my principle would make an acknowledgment and welcome to country. For me I understood at first that this was a traditional principle of protocol, that had to occur for non aboriginal and Torres strait islander Australians to express their understanding that we sit on the Wiradhuri land. After reading Nicol’s (2017) article I appreciate that this has been practiced within aboriginal and Torres strait islander communities for thousands of years and that, ‘if you were crossing someone else’s country, it was a requirement to request permission to enter and be offered safe passage’. This sits in agreement with Hampton and Toombs (2013- page 8)) definition that ‘country are central to identity’ and that ‘Aboriginal people relate family to country’. I find this comforting as it sits in agreement with my belief of all humans, animals and the land being equal.
My family’s strong, genuine interest in Aboriginal culture has been invested in me since a young girl. My father has long played music surrounding the injustices faced by aboriginal and Torres strait islander people and as an inquisitive child I always questioned their meanings. Through Archie roach he enlightens me and my family on the stolen generation whilst recognizing how lucky I am to live in a time of equality. When my father first introduced me to the song by Paul Kelly ‘From little things Big Thing Grow” I was puzzled. Initially I didn’t understand the names of people, the names of the lands and mostly the songs importance. After reading AIATSIS (2015) I further was re-informed of the man ‘Vincent Lingiari, of the Gurindji tribe’ who ‘led his people to strike for better pay and conditions’, and ‘after many years of struggle, Lingiari was famously given back his land by prime minister Gough Whitlam in 1972’. This song was so important as its message reminded people today the progress Australia is making towards reconciliation of our dark history and the importance standing against inequality.
Australian media frequently skew their reporting to be bias and in fit with the common stereotypes of aboriginal and Torres strait islander people. as a young girl, I automatically assumed that most aboriginal communities consisted of troubled youth and heavy alcohol and drug addictions. Whilst statistics prove this as true, researchers from the overcoming indigenous disadvantage report (2014) suggest “that deeper underlying causes include ‘intergenerational trauma’ resulting from the ongoing and cumulative effects of colonization, loss of land, language, forced removal of children, and racism.” This alters my initial assumption in highlighting that the current day stereotype roots from the wrongdoings of the white invaders during colonization. Whilst this report confirms my initial assumptions, Pearson’s (2017) article has challenged the positive impact of media surrounding indigenous communities. Pearson (2017) has raised positive awareness on crucial campaigns such as “ #IndigenousDads, which erupted in response to negative portrayal on indigenous fathers presented in the Australian news”. This makes me feel comforted in the fact that my generation is able to combat the negative biases created through traditional media.
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