Aboriginal People Reflective Essay

Great Essays
I respectfully acknowledge the Elders and custodians of the Yuin nation, past and present, their descendants and kin of the land where I am living, studying and working.
This is a warning that this journal may contain images, voices and names of deceased Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Island people.

Whilst attending school with two Aboriginal students in my class, I was never exposed to people stereotyping Aboriginal people. I lived in an inland rural area of New South Wales, and after finishing school I moved to Kununurra, a northern remote area in Western Australia. This was a place where my knowledge and understanding of the Aboriginal people their culture, history and identity was largely developed. I was exposed to so many dimensions of the different ways they lived, whether it was traditionally in remote communities or within the township. This exposure tested and challenged my thoughts, it lead me to further question some of the reasons why the Aboriginal people had vastly different ways of living. During the 3 years I lived in Kununurra I gained much repect for their culture and
…show more content…
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures have adapted dramatically to accommodate all that has been introduced into Australia since 1788” as stated by Reconciliation Australia (http://www.shareourpride.org.au/). If people are educated on the journey that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have encountered throughout their lives, an understanding of the importance of culture and identity to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people would establish. Stereotypical behaviour often occurs from lack of education or knowledge of a culture, and has the ability to change by educating people on the facts, and importance to accept and respect others, and “treat everyone as an individual” (Reconciliation Australia,

Related Documents

  • Great Essays

    From the first English arrivals in Australia, the Aboriginal people have lived in the shadow in their own country, with many issues that have not been resolved yet. Noel Pearson is one of the country´s most respected Aboriginal leaders and impressive intellects and powerful orators in Australia. He is a popular defender for Aboriginal rights, especially Aboriginal land. He has changed the approach to welfare, child abuse, child protection, education and economic development. In 2007, together with the Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough, he launched a new welfare scheme for the Aboriginal people at Hope Vale.…

    • 1501 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    Furthermore, believe governments, politicians and teachers need to make more of an effort in mending relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This can be done by focussing on revealing the truth and removing negative myths. I will teach children that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the First Australians and the First Fleet did not discover Australia (Harrison & Sellwood, 2016). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture should be integrated in all learning areas of the Australian Curriculum because it is the culture of Country. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have an intimate relationship with the land, sky and sea taking only what they need, plus follow an environmentally friendly philosophy (SBS OnDemand, 2014d).…

    • 1642 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Let me begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owner’s of this land and extending a warm and sincere thank you to the Noongar people for welcoming us all to their country today. I would also like to pay my respects to the Elders past and present. Also I would like to advise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders that the following presentation may contain sensitive materials, images, stories of events and Indigenous Australians who are deceased. This may be upsetting or evoke sensitivity.…

    • 854 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Australian history the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders of Australia were not treated with the respect and dignity that they deserve, they have been the protectors of this land for many years before British colonised here, they lived from the land and they had a very strong community based life. After years of demoralising them and taking their basic ways of life away from them, we now have certain policies and procedures in place to bring the equality back. From the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Health Plan 2013-2023 the government is committed to improving health and wellbeing through closing the gap in health outcomes with the wider Australian population. In the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Health…

    • 1082 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Lecture 1: Respect, Dignity and Culture This lecture, on Aboriginal cultural safety, was an informative emersion into the Aboriginal way of life. It helped me, personally, begin to develop, an understanding of Aboriginal’s culture and traditions. However, in my limited life experience, interactions with Aboriginals, have been through negative observations. From news bulletins on television, write ups in the community newspaper, to crossing the street and avoiding a swearing, intoxicated Indigenous male. It is a real contrast, to the respectful Aboriginal introduction Gningla Taylor presented, when Aboriginals encounter another person.…

    • 329 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Blog: Critical Reflection During the time of the European invasion of Australia, many of the events that occurred have left a lasting impact on the Indigenous people in Australia and have made me feel quite astounded as to how a group of people could treat anyone in that manner (Axelsson et al. 2016, pp. 1-7). It is extremely important in our nursing practice to be able to examine and understand what has happened in the past and critically reason how this information can help us improve on our own nursing practice and improve healthcare for Aboriginal people (Axelsson et al. 2016 pp. 1-7).…

    • 754 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    From the onset of the invasion of Australia in 1788, supported by the claim that Australia was uninhabited land, ‘Terra Nullius’, a ripple effect of disadvantage began which resulted in intergenerational discrepancies in the educational outcomes of Indigenous Australians. However, the unequal outcomes of Indigenous Australians were, and often still are, attributed to the belief of Indigenous Australians’ inherent inequality to Whites. This is despite the fact that the systems established in post-invasion Australia perpetuated this very inequality through structural and institutionalised racism. The views of race and racial hierarchy which sanctioned these systems continue to linger on and pervade areas of society today, albeit often in a more…

    • 1010 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Aboriginalities essay “How have settler constructions of aboriginal people affected aboriginal peoples?” The settler voice towards aboriginal peoples, has ingrained constructs i.e. stereotypes, into society. These stereotypes have inflicted harm and severely affected aboriginal people throughout history and to this day, but in what ways and through which medians do these coloniser interpretations express themselves in society? And what are the responses of the aboriginal peoples who are concerned?…

    • 1026 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Residential schools were detrimental to the lives of many Aboriginal People and it is crucial that all people understand and are educated about this piece of history. Since residential schools were the engines of cultural genocide, understanding them is the key to gaining perspective into and fixing many contemporary Aboriginal issues. If all people are not educated on residential schools, there will continue to be a burden on Aboriginal communities and discrimination over contemporary issues that many Aboriginal societies and people face will continue to be a prominent issue in Canada. Educating people on the history of residential schools is also a vital way to get rid of ignorance that many non-Aboriginal Canadians have towards present…

    • 2414 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Jamaica And Canada Essay

    • 1164 Words
    • 5 Pages

    This rediscovery may lead to understanding the aboriginal knowledge, which is important to carry on a process of decolonization. Aboriginals should be cautious, so that they are not easily misled Some individuals may have a hard time understanding different aspects of or perspectives on the aboriginal knowledge. The enthusiasm of finding an identity and the results may actually cause an individual to become impatient in their learning abilities. It is important to keep in mind to maintain patience and modesty when looking for knowledge of their own traditional…

    • 1164 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Statistics from the 2004 General Social Survey on Victimization show that 40% of Aboriginal[1] Canadians have been victims of criminal activities and/or hate crime. This number is almost twice the number of non-Aboriginal Canadians who were victims of crime. Indigenous women make up a high percentage of this number. As the class and power struggle between Indigenous[1] and non-indigenous Canadians intensifies, Indigenous women are burdened with both gender and race based abhorrence. There have been numerous cases of Aboriginal women missing, being abused or murdered.…

    • 1088 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Based off the history of indigenous peoples in Canada, one thing is for certain; discriminatory and inhumane acts by European conquest, towards a unique culture has altered the Aboriginal way of life we see in Canada today. While the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), has been evolving and developing for multiple years, these 94 recommendations give important insight and suggestions in how the nation of Canada can move away from this unjust history, reconcile and work towards becoming a stronger nation. While it may seem that reparations are impractical from the devastations of such events as the Indian residential schools, the TRC has been a timely process with the intent to restore an altered Aboriginal life and strengthen ties with…

    • 1149 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    For generations thousands of North Americans have grown up watching old classic western films of the “Indian and cowboy”. Such films portray the wise elder from the film Little Big Man, the drunk in Tom Sawyer’s films, the breath taking Indian princess from Pocahontas, and who can’t forget about the loyal sidekick Tonto from the Lone Ranger. It is these iconic films that have shaped the public’s perspective of Aboriginals and has even affected the Aboriginals perspective of themselves. These films have reinforced the notion that Aboriginal only exist in the past forever chasing Buffalo or forever being chased and killed by the cavalry. These films have created false and romanticized stereotypes of the Aboriginals.…

    • 2238 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The treatment of Australia’s Indigenous community is horrific. Indigenous Australians lived on this land for thousands of years before the white European settlers came and took their land along with their lives. Since the settlers arrived they have been treated like animals, lesser beings to the white European settlers and their descendants. The treatment of Australia’s Indigenous population has improved since the settlers but is nowhere near where it should be. They are forced to live with negative stereotypes placed on them, poor schooling and working conditions.…

    • 1000 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Shipp (2013, p.25) discusses that in urban contexts it is important that teachers do not shy away from including Aboriginal perspectives in the classroom just because they think that there are no ‘real Aboriginal’ students in their class. Successful collaboration in education requires teachers who are willing to engage with the local Indigenous community both inside and outside of the school gate. The value of teaching Aboriginal culture, language and studies is vital in integrating history, culture and beliefs into a holistic teaching system. Engagement with the local wider community is imperative so that local Indigenous culture, history, language and knowledge of Country can be incorporated into the everyday curriculum. Narogin (cited in Sarra 2011, p.2) states Indigenous Australians exist holistically within a cultural, historical and social context.…

    • 1125 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays