Australian Indigenous Health Before and After Colonisation - Annotated Bibliography Example

Australian Indigenous Health Before and After Colonisation Name Institution Lecturer Course Date Australian Indigenous Health Before and After Colonisation Australia initially belonged to the Indigenous people before British settlers invaded the land beginning 1788 (Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet, 2015). Although since then Australia has grown economically, this invasion initiated a series of health problems on the Indigenous people who have for a long time been neglected and oppressed (Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet, 2015). The issue of the health status of the Australian Indigenous people is highly intertwined with the long history of alienation, oppression and dispossession that these people have suffered since colonisation. There are numerous articles about this issue. The aim of this paper is to explore the impact of colonisation on the health and well being of the Indigenous people. In particular, this paper explores how colonisation resulted to the increase in disease load among the Indigenous people, contributed to poverty, loss of identity and hope, which in turn has resulted to poor health outcomes for the Australian Indigenous people. Video: Shaikh, H. (2014). Impact of Colonization on Aboriginal Mental Health. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPOSjIBDiH0 “Loss of life due to suicide has become a harsh reality” among the Australian Indigenous people (Shaikh, 2014). In addition, alcohol and substance abuse as well as violence have become a common trend among the Indigenous people (Shaikh, 2014). Case of mental health problems, suicide, substance abuse and violence have been on an increasing trend since the time of colonisation (Shaikh, 2014). Shaikh (2014) shows that British colonisation is the genesis of these health problems facing the Indigenous people. Colonisation created social problems among the Indigenous people, which in turn resulted to mental health problems. Due to loss of identity, the Indigenous people resorted to alcohol and substance abuse and more so because they were discriminated; they were considered uncivilized and unfit to mix with others. Depression set it; alcohol and substance abuse were to be one way to absorb the sorrows and loneliness. This ill treatment and discrimination resulted to the Indigenous people losing trust on the foreigners, who took control of the land such that even to date, the Indigenous people refuse to seek health services (Shaikh, 2014). Links to Models and Approaches This video clip is based on the psychodynamic model used to explain mental health problems. The psychodynamic model argues that mental health problems are a result of the inability of a person’s mind to protect the person’s ego from anxiety. Negative experiences especially during childhood determine mental health problems (Nagel, 2014). The current mental health problems facing the Indigenous people started from the negative and often traumatising childhood experiences including physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Importance to Current Debate As people may wonder why the Indigenous people are facing more mental health issues than the non-Indigenous people, the video clip tries to explain the source; negative experiences which the Indigenous people have been going through since colonisation. Personal Reflections All along, I have been considering that poor economical conditions under which the Indigenous live in is the cause of their mental health problems. Now, I understand that economic condition is just but one factor. As I was watching the clip, I could imagine that the Indigenous people were more of imprisoned on their own land; they could not be allowed to practice their cultural practices. News Article: Kerin, L. (30 April 2015). National Justice Coalition Launch Strategy to Reduce Over-Representation of Indigenous People In Custody. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-30/strategy-to-reduce-over-representation-of-indigenous-in-custody/6434584 After the arrival of Britons, laws and policies were made whose net impact was discrimination against and oppression of the Indigenous people. The social injustice committed to the Indigenous people resulted to poverty (Pop History, 2015). For instance, the Indigenous people were denied opportunities to own properties. Laws were made to dictate which property the Indigenous people owned, whim they visited and interacted with. As a means of survival, neglected and discriminated Indigenous people resorted to crime (Pop History, 2015). Links to Models and Approaches This news article is directly related to the social model of health which focuses on the social, environmental and economic factors of health (Nagel, 2014). Discriminative and oppressive policies established against the Indigenous people are outlined in this article as the genesis of poor health among the Indigenous people compared to the non-Indigenous people. The Indigenous people have been seen to have been plunged into poverty while policies were established to ensure that they did not gain financial liberty to help them change for the better. Therefore, we cannot blame the Indigenous people for their health problems; instead, we should blame the colonisers who took control of the land. Importance to Current Debate This news article enhances the understanding about the genesis of their poor health conditions. Kerin’s (2015) article is based on interviews with Indigenous people. Therefore, it gives a clear picture on what the Indigenous people are going through as well as what they believe will help them improve their lives. Opinions from the Indigenous people themselves is a major plus for this article. Personal Reflections As I was reading through the article, I could not help imagining that the intention of the settlers was to bring to an end the Indigenous people. It is seen that there were deliberate efforts to ensure that the Indigenous people went into extinction as evidenced by the oppressive laws that were established. I have also realized that an oppressive policy enforced for a day can have impacts to last for thousands of years. Pop History (2015). Australia: Colonisation to Federation (1788-1901). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1PLNK1bht0 Poverty is a direct product of colonisation, which in turn forced the Indigenous people into crime and violence. Consequently, this resulted to ever increasing number of Indigenous people in prisons (Kerin, 2015). Imprisonment is used as an indicator of the extent of poverty and hopelessness among the Indigenous people. A majority of the Indigenous people has been denied the economic means to improve their lives, health and well being (Kerin, 2015). This high level of poverty prevented them from making healthy choices (Kerin, 2015). Links to Models and Approaches This source is based on the social health model by creating a link between economic conditions and health. Poor people are incapable of making healthy choices. Due to neglect and discrimination, the Indigenous people have no other option other than risking their lives and health through engagement in criminal activities. Hopelessness that has build up for long has also forced the Indigenous people to engage in crime. Therefore, these two articles create a link between poverty and health. The source also creates a link between social inequalities and health. Social inequality occurs when some people are denied means to improve their wellbeing while others have access to such opportunities. Discriminative policies and laws which Britons established after entering Australia caused social inequality. Importance on Current Debate Pop History (2015) outlines the cause of poor health currently facing the Indigenous people. This article sheds light into the impact of colonisation on the health of the Indigenous people indirectly. Personal Reflections I believe that Australia is still an independent country because its original people, the Indigenous people, have not yet gained full social and economical liberty. It is until the culture of inequality and discrimination against the Indigenous people ends that the health and wellbeing of the Indigenous people will improve. Blog: Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet (2015). The Context of Indigenous Health. Retrieved from http://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/health-facts/overviews/the-context-of-indigenous-health Colonisation is a historical event in the lives and health of Indigenous people because after colonisation, the health and wellbeing of the Indigenous people turned for the worst. The article states that after colonisation, the disease burden among Indigenous people increased, their social structure was interfered with and they were denied opportunities to improve their health and wellbeing. However, the article also indicates that after several years of being neglected, the Australian government has now started focusing on the health and wellbeing of the Indigenous people through the several Aboriginal programs currently in operation. Nevertheless, more effort and intervention are required to improve the conditions of the Indigenous people to equal those of the non-Indigenous people. Issues that need to be addressed, according to the article, include income, employment and education. Links to Models and Approaches This article has a direct link to the health model which outlines factors affecting the health of indigenous health including economic, social, cultural and political factors (Tsey et al. 2010; Hinton, Bradley, Trauer & Nagel, 2014). Colonisation affected all these factors in one way or another with a net impact being the deterioration of the health of the indigenous people. For example, from a social perspective, colonisation introduced new diseases which resulted to an increase in the disease burden while from a political perspective, laws were enacted that were oppressive to the Indigenous people, which in turn affected the health of the Indigenous people negatively. Therefore, based on this model and in accordance with the article, improving the health of the Indigenous people will require a holistic approach that adjusts the main dimensions of health including economic and social empowerment (Tsey et al., 2010). In my view, this is an excellent material that gives a chronology of the Indigenous community slightly before colonisation to date. The information presented in the article is helpful understanding why Indigenous people continue to suffer on their own land. The Impact of this Material on the Current Debate Firstly, this material is a great eye opener to the genesis of the health problems currently facing the Indigenous people because it gives a brief history of the Indigenous people particularly the effect of colonisation on their health. The current debate is on how the identity of the Indigenous people can be restored. The debate extends to the improvement of the health of the Indigenous people. With a clear understanding of the genesis of the health problem, it is now possible to implement best practices to improve the health of the Indigenous people. Economic and social empowerments are viewed as effective strategies of improving the health of the Indigenous people (Tsey et al. 2010). In addition, the provision of culturally appropriate healthcare is an evidence-based best practice for improving the health of the Indigenous people (Hinton et al. 2014). Since this article shows that colonisation negatively interfered with economic and social empowerment while it denied the Indigenous people their cultural identity, it shows that these suggested strategies will improve the health of the Indigenous people. Personal Reflections As I was reading through the article, I realized how a once happily living community was disrupted for good and everything changed contrary to its expectations. This article has therefore enhanced my understanding of the social model of health. Article: Australian Museum (2015). Social Justice. Retrieved from http://australianmuseum.net.au/indigenous-australia-social-justice Key issues raised in the article “History of governmental and colonial racism” has made it extremely difficult to achieve equitable social justice between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Australia (Australia Museum, 2015, para. 1). The article shows how colonisation affected the health of Indigenous people negatively and its impacts are felt to date. Social justice for the Indigenous people means being accorded the “same rights and services as all other citizens” (Australia Museum, 2015, para. 1). Indigenous people, in general, do not enjoy social justice because they are socially, culturally, economically and politically disadvantaged since they were colonised. Social justice encompasses a number of elements according to this article. It means access to good housing, safe water, quality education, equal employment opportunities, ability to make own choices, equal access to economic, political and social opportunities as well as being free from discrimination of any kind (World Health Organization [WHO], 2010). After colonisation, the Indigenous people were neglected and discriminated upon. The colonisers enacted laws and consequently established state boards that controlled the lives of the Indigenous people including supervising them. These boards controlled where Indigenous people could work, which jobs they could do, where they could own properties, which properties they could own, how they used and disposed the properties, where their children would be raised, where they could go and which people they could visit. These boards also withheld the wages of the Indigenous people (Australia Museum, 2015). Essentially, after colonisation, the Indigenous people were socially and economically handicapped. Links to Models and Approaches This article creates a link between social justice and health by indicating that social injustice on the Indigenous people since they were colonised has been the primary reason why the health of the Indigenous people has been far much poor compared to that of the non-Indigenous people. It is worth noting that Queensland has a historical significance as the state where racism and discrimination against the Indigenous people were harshest and where the effects of these practices were felt for the longest time (to date) (Bielefeld, 2010). According to Social Watch (2013), discrimination and racism since the time of colonisation resulted to a cycle of poverty and poor health. Eventually, the Indigenous people lost their identity and developed a sense of hopelessness about ever regaining their identity. Neglect and racism resulted to deterioration of the health of the Indigenous people. The Impact of this Material on the Current Debate and Personal Opinion This article views the origin of the poor health in the Australia indigenous community from a social justice perspective. The article shows that Indigenous people did not just find themselves having more health problems than non-Indigenous Australians; however, this problem has been building up because since 1788, Indigenous people have been living in a discriminative and oppressive environment that not only denies them social justice, but also denies them the opportunity to improve their health and wellbeing. This article serves a useful role of detailing historical reasons for the poor health that Indigenous people are currently experiencing. Poverty, hopelessness and loss of identity are the primary results and long standing of colonisation which have resulted to poor health among the Indigenous people. Accordingly, readers will be more informed to make wise decisions on the way forward to improve the health of the Indigenous people as well as help them restore hope and identity. Personal Reflections After reading this article, I see a strong relationship is tries to build between social justice and the health of the Indigenous people after colonisation. The article creates an idea that even if what the Indigenous people have is a lost generation, granting them social justice will help in solving the health issues they now face. YouTube Video Clip: Vuthy, M. V. (2009). Stolen Generations/Australian Aboriginal Brief History. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fNvEm8wlPw Main Points Raised This video clip shows how the entry of Europeans into Australia, the land initially occupied by the Indigenous people (who moved in from Asia some 30,000 years ago) changed the way of life for the indigenous people (Vuthy, 2009). The year 1788 was the turning point for the Indigenous people when Britons made Australia a formal British territory despite having invaded the land of the Indigenous people. Indigenous people lost their land, their lives, their culture, freedom, children, their possessions and their lifestyles (Vuthy, 2009). They inherited new diseases. Laws were enacted since then, which made the lives of the Indigenous worse every day than before. In order to kill the culture, the invaders snatched away Aboriginal children to raise them in European environment, which resulted to the stolen generation. These children were denied social justice, they lost their identity and they just became lost and hopeless. They were emotionally, sexually, physically and psychologically abused (Vuthy, 2009). This discrimination and neglect continued until late 1990s when things were too bad. With not education and economic power, a cycle of poverty and hopelessness was created that has affected them to date. It was not until 2008 when Prime Minister Kevin Rudd presented a formal government apology to the stolen generation (Vuthy, 2009). Links to Models and Approaches The video clip highlights the social determinants of health which include poverty and education and then links them with the health of the Indigenous people. Prior to the entry of the Britons in 1788, Indigenous Australians were living a peaceful life with few diseases. After colonisation, they were denied social justice, they were discriminated and abused, which not only increased their disease burden but also created a cycle of poverty and poor health. Through sexual abuse, sexually transmitted diseases such as venereal syphilis found their way into the lives of the Indigenous people (Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet, 2015). Contribution to Current Debate and Personal Opinion This media material adds to the knowledge of the genesis of the poor health among the Indigenous people after the entry of British into Australia. The combination of pictures and words enhances the understanding of the agony and pain that the Indigenous people have been going through since colonisation, which enhances the understanding of why the health of the Indigenous people is poorer than that of the non-Indigenous people. Personal Reflections I found the end of this video clip where the Prime Minister is offering the government’s apology to be extremely emotional. Indigenous people are seen shedding tears especially when the Prime Minister outlines the social injustice that the families of this lost generation faced under the previous governments. Any person watching this video clip will understand the gravity of the social injustice to the Indigenous people as well as why the Indigenous people are experiencing serious health problems. Conclusion 1788 was the turning point for the lives and wellbeing of the Indigenous people. In this year, the first set of settlers from British came into Australia bringing with them diseases. They took control of the land of the Indigenous people and interfered with the way of life of the Indigenous people. Since then, the lives of the Indigenous people have not been the same. The social model of health is well shown in this paper whereby the entry of the Britons into Australia had a negative social impact on the Indigenous people. these include introduction of new diseases, killing of the Indigenous people, banning of Indigenous cultural practices, separation of the Indigenous people from their children and denial of social and economic freedom to the Indigenous people. Consequently, the Indigenous people have since been suffering poor health. References Pop History (2015). Australia: Colonisation to Federation (1788-1901). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1PLNK1bht0 Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet (2015). The Context of Indigenous Health. Retrieved from http://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/health-facts/overviews/the-context-of-indigenous-health Bielefeld, S. (2010). The Dehumanising Violence of Racism: The Role of Law. Southern Cross University. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=9&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CFYQFjAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fepubs.scu.edu.au%2Fcgi%2Fviewcontent.cgi%3Farticle%3D1174%26context%3Dtheses&ei=Q9taVcDDL8XpUpvFgJgC&usg=AFQjCNEJXxOQ4OEvT8KC9v83jB0d5fyEiw&sig2=6ZxeP9OtYheKIiFo82r8SA&bvm=bv.93564037,d.ZGU Hinton, R., Bradley, P., Trauer, T. & Nagel, T. (2014). Strengthening Acute Inpatient Mental Health Care for Indigenous Clients. Advances in Mental Health, 12(2), 125-135. Kerin, L. (2015). National Justice Coalition Launch Strategy to Reduce Over-Representation of Indigenous People in Custody. ABC News. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-30/strategy-to-reduce-over-representation-of-indigenous-in-custody/6434584 Shaikh, H. (2014). Impact of Colonization on Aboriginal Mental Health. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPOSjIBDiH0 Social Watch (2013). Poverty and Racism Inextricably Linked, Says UN Expert. Retrieved from http://www.socialwatch.org/node/16324 Tsey, K., Whiteside, M., Haswell-Elkins, M., Brainbridge, R., Cadet-James, Y. & Wilson, A. (2010). Empowerment and Indigenous Australian Health: a Synthesis of Findings from Family Wellbeing Formative Research. Health and Social Care in the Community, 18(2), 169-179. Vuthy, M. V. (2009). Stolen Generations/Australian Aboriginal Brief History. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fNvEm8wlPw World Health Organization (2010). Social Determinants of Health: Access to Power, Money and Resources and the Conditions of Daily Life- The Circumstances in which People are Born, Grow, Live, Work, and Age. 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