Aboriginal reflections PDF

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Reflective journal assignment...

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Reflection Summary So far in this unit we have learnt about Aboriginal people and how they view the world, how their culture is based off the Dreaming and determines their relationship with the land, nature and community. We have also delved into the history of Aboriginal resilience in Australia, including how their land was invaded and taken, the assimilation policy, the stolen generation, the 1967 referendum and how Aboriginal people are still not recognised by the Australian Constitution. We have learnt about the 'politics of whiteness', the racism and discrimination Aboriginal people endure, such as in the 'One Direction parody' (Jackson 2012), and the poor health and well being of Aboriginal people. I have developed my knowledge of Aboriginals greatly already. My thinking and feelings throughout the unit are probably better shown through my weekly posts in the discussion forums (shown at end of document). I already knew a fair amount of what has been taught due to prior study of Aboriginal people during high school, however, I feel like I have engaged more with the content this time around now that I am older and understand the information better. Most of what I hear these days about Aboriginals comes from the media which is known for false information and exaggerations, therefore, some things I learnt in this unit was quite surprising. For example, I did not know that Aboriginal people were not recognised by the Australian Constitution, which is such a ridiculous concept to me as they are the true Australians that own this land. I also learnt from the Oxfam 'Close The Gap' article that Aboriginal people do not receive the same healthcare as non-Aboriginals (2018) and are uncomfortable in the healthcare system they are provided with which helps to explain the high rate of poor health and well being among Aboriginals. Throughout my learning so far, all I could think was why isn't something being done?

Everyone is happy to report on how disadvantaged Aboriginal people are but are not changing anything to actually help them. I'm hoping that at the end of this unit I am confident enough to interact with Aboriginals confidently and in a way that shows respect and helps build them up into confident people that can achieve what they want to in life. I have a few career options I am considering at this stage, however, they are all to do with corrections, whether I work in a prison, as a parole officer, as someone who creates prison rehabilitation programs etc, or I would like to work as someone who creates crime prevention programs to reduce the rate of crime. Hopefully with the knowledge I learn, I could create a successful program that actually helps Aboriginal people and decreases crime. With their different culture and history to the rest of us, they need specifically tailored programs for them, which I am not sure that they currently do in prisons. I hope to help, support and rehabilitate those who need it with the knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal culture I gain from this unit. (Word count: 510)

Weekly Discussion Posts Week 1 1. Supportive family and friends, I have employment, access to education, safety, culture, live in a beautiful country, motivation and strength, freedom, privileged to live in an advanced western country. 2. Culture, connection with the land, family bonds, tradition, ancestry, self sufficient, happiness, strong minded, close community, creative. 3. I found it difficult to list my strengths as even though I have them and they benefit me greatly, I don't necessarily like them, such as my employment. I also don't have many supportive family friends but I do have some. I just kept coming back to the fact

that I am lucky to live in a country where I have access to education and I have freedom and safety, which was hard for me to break down into 10 things. However, even though I am fortunate to have access to this life while Aboriginal people have experienced much more hardship, I am still somewhat envious of their strengths, in particular, their close family bonds and amazing culture of dream time stories and rock painting and other various ceremonies and traditions. They seem happy in their culture and way of life which is something I would like to achieve one day. Week 2 a) I have always been taught about Aboriginal culture from the beginning of primary school, right to the end of high school and now in this unit so I did already have some knowledge on how Aboriginal people see the world. At every morning school assembly we would acknowledge the Aboriginal land we stood on and the people who rightly own it. Our school would also celebrate NAIDOC week and teach us Aboriginal history. The readings this week did however help me understand more how important the Dreaming is, as I did not realise it was like a law that controls the Aboriginal culture. b) I'm hoping by the end of this unit that I will have enough knowledge to understand how to properly communicate with Aboriginal people and know how to help and relate to them as this will be a part of my career in the criminology field due to the high crime rates of Aboriginal communities. This may be difficult though, as I may find it hard to relate to them as I have an extremely different culture. Week 3 It is ridiculous to think that the rightful owners of this land that were here long before they were invaded by the British settlers, are not recognised by the Australian Constitution. It is hard for me to express in words just how shocking and

disappointing it is, and how much racism and discrimination against the Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders is still present in society. After all the hardships they have endured with the destruction of their life and culture, and families being torn a part and not having basic human rights, they should have their place in society. A simple 'sorry' speech by Kevin Rudd means nothing when the Australian Constitution still does not recognise Aboriginal people. However, it does appear that progress is being made due to the 2017 National Constitutional Convention. 'Makarrata' means the "coming together after a struggle. It captures our aspirations for a fair and truthful relationship with the people of Australia and a better future for our children based on justice and self-determination" (Oscar, 2017). I really like this concept and hope that Australia does the right thing.

Week 4 Being born white in Australia is already a privilege as one, you live in Australia and two, you don't have to experience discrimination due to your race. A lot of the time advantaged people take their privileges for granted and believe they can do what they want or get what they want with little effort, however, you do have those people that work hard for what they have. I have been raised to think that everyone is equal and you have to work hard in life and make your own opportunities and luck, that not everything will be handed to me as I'm a white female, although I have experienced people with that belief. However, I do also believe that Aboriginal people aren't as disadvantaged as what a lot of people think. There are many programs and opportunities only offered to Aboriginal people such as education scholarships and employment. They also get certain payments from the government that nonAboriginals can't get and special healthcare. I know these things have been put in

place due to the disadvantages Aboriginal people have had throughout history but you can't say they're still disadvantaged.

Week 5 It is a fact that the health and well being of Aboriginal people is worse than nonAboriginals. Their average age of death is lower by almost 20 years and their bodies do not react the same to drugs and alcohol compared to other people in Australia. There are many health issues, especially mental health issues with Aboriginal people. I believe better healthcare programs that are formed with the understanding of Aboriginal history and culture may be able to help the situation. If I am to work with Aboriginal people in the future, I hope to be able to understand their situation as best as possible and be positive in a way that builds up their self worth and confidence as I believe that a large amount of physical health problems are due to a negative mind. If I can make them feel comfortable and happy, perhaps they will seek the help they need. (Total word count: 1440)

References Jackson, F. (2012), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dbkvoj6SC0w Oxfam, (2018), National Close the Gap Day, https://www.oxfam.org.au/what-wedo/indigenous-australia/national-close-the-gap-day/...