The Pros And Cons Of Non-Indigenous Australians

Indigenous Australians experience disproportionate levels of health, educational, employment and social disadvantages compared to non-Indigenous Australians. The three periods in history I have chosen to outline are colonization, segregation and assimilation. These policies resulted in the disruption to families, communities and culture contributing significantly to many challenges facing Indigenous people today.
Colonisation significantly affected Aboriginal people’s lives due to the introduction of diseases and violence. The most immediate consequence was a wave of epidemic diseases such as measles, small pox and influenza which annihilated Aboriginal people. These diseases were incurable by traditional medicine. There was also conflict between colonies and Aborigines which …show more content…
Personally, I felt upset and outraged by the horrific injustices and trauma that happened so early in our country’s history. The quality of Aboriginal lives in the past, present and future could have been significantly improved if these policies hadn’t been implemented and if non-Indigenous and Indigenous people were able to live together without conflict, marginalization and racism. I am deeply saddened that Indigenous people battle with their identity because a huge portion of their culture had been snatched away from them. Whilst nothing can change the actions of the past, as a future healthcare professional, I want to help wherever I can to address injustice. This ideology stemmed from a combination of my upbringing with members of my family being refugees to Australia. From talking to my parents and relatives, I learnt that history is not the only explanation and the process of ending a vicious intergenerational cycle of suffering and hardships is only possible if more people were aware of Aboriginal history and Indigenous people were given access to good health services and support