Assignment 2 Indigenous PDF

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Indigenous Health and Culture: HLSC120 Assessment Task 2, Oral presentation: Olivia, Grace, Ting Chun Aaron Fok, Thi Quynh Hoa and Ashrita

10 min presentation, 5-minute interactive activity

· Describe the place where this person comes from in terms of country. Discuss why connection to the country is significant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their community. ·

Describe the actions of this person, the history of these actions, and the legacy achieved.

· Describe the obstacles and challenges faced by the individual as their activism or campaign escalated. Consider how the person has had an impact on areas of health, culture, communication, cultural safety, spirituality and/or self-determination

Create an interactive activity with your audience. This could be incorporated into your presentation (to make a total of 15 minutes) or delivered after the presentation. The activity you create must demonstrate audience engagement.

Professor Marcia Lanton (Q1) Olivia (S00281041) Professor Marcia Lanton was born in 1951 and grew up in Brisbane, Australia as a descendant of the Yiman and Bidjara nations. She grew up in the surrounding towns along “Cunnamulla” in tents, camps housing commission and mission houses. Connection to the country is significant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their community including Langton, as before colonisation the relationship between land and people underpinned all aspects of life for Indigenous people. It meant more than just rocks and soil. However, it represented their spirituality, culture and language. Today this relationship with the land remains

fundamental to the identity and way of life for many aboriginal people including Lanton. Aboriginal Australians don’t have the perception of owning the land, but instead every individual belongs to the land through a kinship system. Their knowledge and way of doing life is passed down by ancestors from traditional stories and beliefs and contributes to all aspects of existence. According to a Beyond Blue (2020) report from the closing the gap campaign: “Aboriginal’s who have been separated from culture, have identity issues and suffer the impacts of the stolen generation have significant risks that impact their social, and emotional wellbeing.” For an Indigenous Australian to feel strong and resilient they need a sense of belonging and social connectedness. Land, and being connected to land, has a major influence on their identity. “Many believe this is because the ancestors were buried in their country and their spirits protect and care for the land and those still alive.” Adapted from Marion Kickett’s PhD thesis. Prior to colonisation Aboriginal people lived entirely off their land for food, water, medicine and shelter for thousands of years. Their land represents the story of their survival and hardship which continues to be passed down through ancestors. Grace O’Shea ( S00289172) As previously mentioned, Professor Marcia Lanton is a descendent of the Bidjara and Yiman nations. They are located in south-east Queensland. Bidjara Country is in approximately the same area as the suburb of Charleville, and Yiman Country is located in the suburb of Injune ( State of Queensland, 2018). As an Indigenous Australian, Marcia Lanton’s heritage is extremely important. It provides a sense of identity, connection to culture, as well as a place to call home. Marcia Lanton has pride in her Aboriginal heritage, Often including her tribes in her title,“ Professor Marcia Lanton of the Yiman-Bindjara Nations”. The history of Marcia Lanton’s tribes is horribly violent, famous for the “Hornet Bank Massacre”. On the 27th of October 1857, a group of aboriginals retaliated against the European settlers, for their brutality, mistreatment and the sexual assault of the Yiman women (Monument Australia, 2010). The Yiman men murdered 11 Europeans settlers as revenge ( Monument Australia, 2010). However, this had dire consequences, as not long after, a European politician - Murray-Prior, organised an attack to punish the tribe (Monument Australia, 2010). The settlers massacred approximately 500 indigenous men and women in cold blood ( Monument Australia, 2010).

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Script (Q2) Ashrita (S00236178)

Marcia Langton firstly enrolled into the University of Queensland and became an activist for indigenous rights. She then travelled to many other countries like Papua New Guinea, Japan and North Korea, exploring, studying and working in different cultures. Returning back to Australia in the 1980’s she studied at the Australian National University and graduated in anthropology, one of the first Indigenous honours graduates in the field. (Henningham, 2014). She then went on and worked in several organisations like Aboriginal Medical Service Sydney and worked for the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody relating to Indigenous social, cultural issues, land claims and giving extra importance to research into alcohol management in the Indigenous communities. (Henningham, 2014) (Australian of the Year Award, 2018).

She has been a spokesperson for Indigenous rights withholding the importance of Australian Indigenous Studies at the University of Melbourne for many years. Marcia committed herself to make Indigenous studies to the importance it holds in society today through government and non-government policies and administrations. She also focused on Aboriginal land rights, mining industry and the Indigenous communities handling the resources and the social impacts it has on the development of the different communities. (Henningham, 2014).

Marcia’s work in anthropology in voicing the interests of Aboriginal rights was firstly brought to attention in 1993 after being appointed a member of the Order of Australia (high award regarding the service as an anthropologist and advocate for Aboriginal issues) and had the opportunity to meet the Queen in 1999. She has voiced her concerns about the settlements relating to mining companies on Aboriginal land and the partiality between the locals and the Australian Government. She went on to become one of the representatives in the ‘Wik Land Rights’ negotiations in the late 1990’s. (Francis, 2019). Some of her more recognised achievements throughout her career are as follows; Inaugural Professor of Australian Indigenous Studies, at the University of Melbourne, admitted as a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and Inducted onto the Victorian Honour Roll of Women. (Hanningham 2014). It is also notable to mention her works with the Women’s Liberation movement in the 1970’s, focusing on the oppression women of colour faced during that time. She spoke out against racism in Australia and also appeared in many films and television series playing the characters of very strong Aboriginal women. (Francis, 2019). She is still a mediator for the rights of Australian Aboriginals, but now describes herself more so as an “academic and writer” (The Monthly, 2011), projecting her work through the media, focussing strongly on issues of Australia’s colonial past and the relevance of its race and cultural inequities.

Grace O’Shea (S00289172) Professor Marcia Langton now leaves behind a legacy including; numerous informative books on race and cultural inequalities, many published academic articles, and has received many prestigious awards

throughout her career. Marcia Langton has made a change for the better and is continuing to do so. The impacts she has made for Indigenous Australian rights is tremendous, and she is continuing to make change as she teaches and works as a professor in the University of Melbourne and is an ongoing researcher and advocate for Australia’s Indigenous people.

(Q3) Ting Chun Aaron Fok (S00290653) In 1993, the Australian Parliament enacted the Native Title Act 1993. The aim of the Act is to protect the rights and benefits of Indigenous people on land or water use. In 2008, Marcia Langton was appointed to reform the native title process of Australian, the Native Title (Amendment) Act 2007 (Cth). She proposed to redesign the Resource Tax on mining in Australia to improve the Indigenous rights and employment (Barclay, 2010). Moreover, as mentioned in the previous slide, the mining industry on Aboriginal land is one of the focus of Marcia Langton that can become an investment to the Aboriginal economy, education, and health (Langton & Longbottom, 2012). However, due to the legislation of Native Title Act might influence a lot of factors and interest of parties, a lot of barriers have been set to delay the legislation of Act. In the presentation of Australian mining industry’s annual lecture, Marcia Langton (2017) mentioned the legislation of the Act has been delayed by the Greens and the “environmental industry” which also treat Indigenous people as “collateral damage”. Most of the recommendations and submissions which might help to improve the native title system have been ignored by the recent government because of the frail or distorted evidence. Langton believed the focus of Indigenous interests has been misleading and hijacking to other concerns which caused the livelihoods of thousands of people has been ignored. Thi Quynh Hoa Tran (S00243627) Professor Marcia Langton, who has spent her career to fight for inequalities faced by Indigenous people in Australia, especially women and girls. She is a spokesperson and activist for Aboriginal rights throughout her career, acquiring knowledge and promoting justice in the areas of land rights, civil rights and human rights as well as pushing history, indigenous culture and arts. However, because of fighting against inequalities of white people, she has faced many challenges during her career, campaigns, and even in her daily life. After having become a mother at the age of 18, she joined many activities related to Aboriginal rights movements, attended and organized demonstrations. Consequently, she had to leave her country and started a five-year trip around the world due to being threatened and raided many times by the police. Moreover, Langton has also faced daily abuse through social media and letters. She was criticized for going against white people stereotypes, such as the way she dresses, how she speaks frankly, and her unusual published titles (Price, Langton, & Cashman, 2016). In addition, professor Langton also participated in campaigns related to mining projects and economic development, which has sparked controversy in the Australian community. Although there have been many warnings about land use and mining as well as many gaps in the Native Title Act that threaten the effect of the Indigenous Land Use Agreements, they are all ignored. Media disinformation, powerless

governments, the Green lawfare and union movements are those obstacles that Langton and other Aboriginal people had to address. Furthermore, the Green movement and the media also misrepresented much disinformation about Aboriginal people to spread the incorrect ideal and deception to the Australian society (Langton, 2015). Although there are many legal ways to oppose exploitation and other projects, using the media to spread disinformation about indigenous people is truly shameful and deserves to be condemned. References:

https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/5377-marcia-langton

https://www.cis.org.au/app/uploads/2016/12/op152.pdf

https://www.yenmag.net/52749/

https://australianstogether.org.au/discover/indigenous-culture/the-importance-of-land/

Henningham, N. (2014). Langton, Marcia - Woman - The Encyclopedia of Women and LeadershipinTwentieth-CenturyAustralia. http://www.womenaustralia.info/leaders/biogs/WLE0773b.htm AustralianoftheYearAwards,(2018) view=fullView&recipientID=2150

https://www.australianoftheyear.org.au/honour-roll/?

Monument Australia. (2010). Hornet Bank Massacre. Retrieved from https://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/conflict/indigenous/display/92622-hornet-bank-massacre

Reid, J., Connor, L., & Bolton, L. (2020). Marcia Langton: Aboriginal scholar and activist - Biography and Life. https://peoplepill.com/people/marcia-langton/ Peter, R. (2011, April). Who’s Afraid of Marcia Langton?. The Monthly.

https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2011/march/1326846139/peter-robb/who-s-afraid-marcialangton#mtr Rosemary, F. (2017). The Australian Women’s Register. http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/AWE4416b.htm Langton, M., & Longbottom, J. (2012). Community futures, legal architecture foundations for indigenous peoples in the global mining boom (Glasshouse Book). Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Langton, M. (2017). Australian mining industry’s annual lecture [Video file]. Retrieved from http://catallaxyfiles.com/2017/06/11/the-australian-mining-industry-third-annual-lecture-marcia-langton/ Barclay, P. (DJ). (2010, May 13). Who benefits from the resources boom? [Radio Broadcast]. In P. Barclay (producer). Big Ideas. Sydney, New South Wales: ABC Radio National Langton, M. (2015). From Conflict to Cooperation: Transformations and Challenges in the Engagement Between the Australian Minerals Industry and Australian Indigenous Peoples. Minerals Council of Australia. Price, J., Langton, M., & Cashman, J. (2016). Ending the Violence in Indigenous Communities. The Centre for Independent Studies. Retrieved from https://www.cis.org.au Native Title Act 1993 (Cth). Retrieved from https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A04665 State of Queensland. ( 2018). South West Hospital and Health Service Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy. Retrieved from https://www.southwest.health.qld.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/aboriginal-torresstraitislanderhs.pdf National Unity Government. ( 1996). Aboriginal Australia - Full map [Image]. Retrieved from http://nationalunitygovernment.org/pdf/aboriginal-australia-map.pdf

Wikipedia. ( 2020). 1925 sketch of the attack on the homestead [ image]. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hornet_Bank_massacre#/media/File:Sketch_of_the_Hornet_Bank_Massacr e,_attack_on_the_homestead.jpg...