Week 5 Flashcards
(63 cards)
Overview of Policy Eras
- Colonisation, 1788 – 1880
- The White Australia Policy, 1850s–1973
- Protection – Segregation, 1890’s – 1950’s
- Assimilation, 1950 – 1960
- Integration, 1967 – 1972
- Self Determination, 1972 – 1975
- Self-management, 1975 – 1988
- Self-management 2, 1988 – 2004
- Shared Responsibility, 2004 – 2014
- Indigenous Advancement Strategy, 2014 - curent
Colonisation - 1788–1880
European settlement claimed the land as uninhabited, or “terra nullius”
As the land was regarded as terra nullius, any attempts Aboriginal people made at resisting were interpreted as rebellion, not war;
Appropriation of Aboriginal homelands and a process of extermination or domestication, sickness and a loss of Aboriginal law, leadership, traditions and language (Eckermann et al., 2012; Smith, 2016)
The White Australia Policy 1850s–
1973
Did not specifically target Aboriginal peoples;
Impacted on the national and social development of Australia
Contributed towards the set of white cultural values and beliefs that helped form the national self-identity of Australians;
Excluded and marginalised groups based on their ethnicity and race (Smith, 2016).
‘Protection’ through segregation: 1890s –
1950s
Perceived inferiority of the Indigenous peoples (Ethnocentrism);
Indigenous peoples would die out (Social Darwinism);
Era of protection and ‘smoothing the dying pillow’
Forced segregation of Aboriginal people from their homelands onto missions and reserves (Trauma)
Provided with poor living conditions, meagre rations of sugar, tea and flour, as well as controlling substances of tobacco and opium (Health)
Missions and reserves
Forcible removal of children (the stolen generation).
The role of the Chief Protector - control the movement,
speech, marriage, bank accounts, wages, wills, property
and debts of all Aboriginal people (Kidd, 2002)
‘Protection’ through Segregation:
1890s–1950s continued..
(‘aborigine’, rites, customs, etc)
The term ‘Aborigine’ was defined by an Act of Parliament and Aboriginal people were not
allowed to drink, vote or receive social service benefits (Kidd, 2002; Langton, 2001).
All rites and customs that were seen as injurious to the welfare of Aboriginal people on the
reserves were prohibited – these included tribal language and law (Eckermann et al.,
2012).
The Constitution of Australia made only two references to Aborigines. Section 127 excluded
them from the census; and Section 51 (Part 26) gave power over Aborigines to the States
rather than to the federal government. This was the situation until the referendum in 1967
(Smith, 2016)
Assimilation: 1950s–1960s
Replaced segregation as it was clear that the Aboriginal people were not dying out.
Based on the assumption that Aboriginal Australians would attain the same lifestyle, customs, laws and traditions as other Australians (Broome, 1982).
It became a policy ‘to change Aborigines into Europeans with black skins’ (Broome, 1982, p. 171).
Later found to be both ‘systemic racial discrimination, and genocide, as defined by
international law’ (Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, 1997, p. 266).
In Queensland the policy of segregation continued until 1965 (Smith, 2016).
Integration: 1967–1972
In 1967, the federal government held a constitutional
referendum
–90 per cent of Australians voted in favor
In 1971 Indigenous Australians were included in the
census for the first time.
-Placed more emphasis on positive relations (Smith, 2016)
Self-determination: 1972–1975
The Federal Department of Aboriginal Affairs (DAA) was
established in 1972.
Responsible for the development of national policies in consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, thus restoring power to Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders to make their own decisions about their own way of life (Smith, 2016).
The Queensland Government rejected this and continued with assimilation policies until 1982 (Ober et al., 2000).
Self-management 1: 1975–1988
Federal Government expected Indigenous Australians to be held accountable for their own decisions and financial management (Eckermann et al., 2012).
With this came a strong push for land rights and separate legal, health and housing services (Smith, 2016)
Self-management 2: 1988–2004
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC)
Community-elected Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to manage some of their own affairs
Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation was established in 1991 but was defunded in 2001
Treaty
Reconciliation
World Health Organization (WHO) reported that Aboriginal health was among the worst of any Indigenous group in the world
Significant acts 1988-2004
Community Control TREATY RECONCILIATION 1989 National Aboriginal Health Strategy Aboriginal Health 1992 The Mabo decision 1992 The Redfern Address 1997 Bringing them home: The 'Stolen Children' report
Shared Responsibility: 2004–2014
Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination (OIPC)
Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs
(DIMIA)
Coordinate a whole-of-government approach to programs and services for Indigenous Australians (Smith, 2016).
Significant acts 2004-2014
“The Intervention” 2007
Close the Gap, Oxfam 2007
The Apology, Kevin Rudd’s 2008
Indigenous Advancement Strategy 2014–
current
2014 the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health was amalgamated into the mainstream Department of Health
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, and the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, through the ‘Indigenous Advancement Strategy’
Closing the Gap and the Constitutional Recognition campaigns
Intergenerational Trauma
What is Intergenerational Trauma?
- -A trauma that reoccurs across generations, shared collectively, and is continuously compounded in a cyclic nature.
- -Destruction of ways of dealing with trauma, suppression of unresolved trauma, collective trauma and cultural trauma are components of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander transgenerational trauma
Intergenerational Trauma:
part 2
Integenerational trauma Has been due to Australia’s shared history and policies include:
– Australia being declared Terra Nullus – Genocide period, violence and killing – Loss of land, home, hunting grounds, water holes – Introduction of diseases – Protectionism, assimilation – Stolen wages – Black deaths in custody – Stolen generation – Withdrawal of the Racial Discrimination Act (RDA)
Australian Psychological Society (APS)
- Apology
We apologise for:
Our use of diagnostic systems that do not honour cultural belief systems and world views;
The inappropriate use of assessment techniques and procedures that have conveyed misleading and inaccurate messages about the abilities and capacities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people;
Conducting research that has benefitted the careers of researchers rather than improved the lives of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants;
Developing and applying treatments that have ignored Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander approaches to healing and that have, both implicitly and explicitly, dismissed the importance of culture in understanding and promoting social and emotional
wellbeing; and,
Our silence and lack of advocacy on important policy matters such as the policy of forced removal which resulted in the Stolen Generations
Meaning of health?
1989 National Aboriginal Health Strategy
“Aboriginal health” means not just the physical well-being of an individual but refers to the social, emotional and cultural well-being of the whole Community in which each individual is able to achieve their full potential as a human being thereby bringing about the total wellbeing of their Community.
(NAHSWP, 1989)
Who is an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait
Islander Person?
A descendant of First Australians
Identifies as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person
Accepted by his/her community in which he/she lives (ABS, 2015).
NOT colour of skin
Culture
Provides Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people with a strong sense of identity and belonging.
Provides a strong sense of identity
Provides a strong sense of wellbeing
Strength to be confident
Cultural Practices
Rituals & Ceremonies Traditional Lore Bush Medicine Food Sacred Sites Environment Spiritual Sorry Business Traditional Healers
Languages
Prior to colonisation
——- 250+ distinct
languages
———- 600+ dialect variations
Today
———– 145 languages
(110 of them ‘critically
endangered’)
Languages
Primary language groups
Kalau Lagau Ya
Kalau Kawau Ya
Meriam Mir
In addition all of the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula speak a common language:
Torres Strait Creole
Population Health / Demographic Profile
of indigenous australians and percentage of total indigenous population
WA
88,270 (13.2%)
NT
68,850 (10.3%)
SA
37,408 (5.6%)
QLD
188,954 (28.2%)
NSW
208,476 (31.1%)
Vic
47,333 (7.1%)
ACT
6,160 (0.9%)
TAS
24,165 (3.6%)
