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Connection with curriculum |
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This topic relates to the concept: colonisation
Analyse the impact of historical events on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and health service access in Intensive Care Medicine and the implications of these events on building trust and relationships with individuals, families and communities in Intensive Care Medicine.
Introduction
The colonisation of Australia has had and continues to have a devastating impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, who have lived on this continent for thousands of years. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples experienced brutal systemic injustice over many years, including denying people the ability to practice and live in their culture, the forced removal of children and the denial of citizenship rights. This reflection on colonisation asks you to engage with the defining moments of how 'Australia' came to be.
Select each heading to learn more.
Colonisation refers to the systems of power that facilitate the oppression of Indigenous Peoples and their ability to practice their cultures and access their lands. Colonisation began at the time of European invasion in Australia.
Decolonisation is the cultural, psychological and economic freedom of Indigenous Peoples with the primary goal of achieving sovereignty. Equally important in decolonisation is thinking about ways to decolonise, and acts of decolonisation.
Understanding colonisation is an essential part of closing the gap in health and social outcomes for Indigenous Peoples. The health, human and community services sector will not increase life expectancy and improve the quality of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ lives for both patients and employees if there is not an understanding of the historical and contemporary factors that have contributed to poor health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (Victorian Government, 2019). Understanding colonisation ensures that Indigenous Peoples are not blamed for these health outcomes, and that they are understood within their historical context.
Colonisation has impacted the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples through the prioritising of Western biomedical paradigms of health over Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander paradigms of health. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, due to colonisation, have lost much of their access to their lands, skies and waterways, and are often unable to practice their cultures without interference from the State. This oppression can severely impact the physical and mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Further, the legacy of colonial practices, such as the Stolen Generations, has resulted in a deep mistrust of the health system for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' hospital experiences, if not culturally safe, as well as historical events such as the forced removal of children, may lead to fear and distrust in the medical system. This may subsequently lead to delayed presentation to hospital, discharging against medical advice, not engaging with treatment, and poorer health outcomes. Recognising the impact of colonisation and striving to provide care that is culturally safe is one way in which to support the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
Colonisation, historical and continued marginalisation contribute to higher rates of social risk factors, including those related to childhood injury and death. For example, in Queensland, First Nations children are dying at 1.9 times the rate of non-Indigenous children, and First Nations children and young people die by suicide at 2.9 times the rate of non- Indigenous children and young people (Queensland Family and Child Commission, 2022).
Caution:
There is a misconception that colonisation is in the past. Colonisation is ongoing. Patrick Wolfe (2006) calls attention to the fact that colonisation is a structure, not an event. The Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand governments practice forms of colonisation today by continuing to control Indigenous Peoples’ lives.
Pedagogy of place
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, perspectives, and pedagogies are used to teach, learn, understand the world, and behave ethically and effectively within it. A critical pedagogy of place recognises the concrete experiences of communities grounded in shared histories, stories and challenges based within a politics of place.
A critical pedagogy of place seeks to decolonise and reinhabit the storied landscape through “reading” the ways in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples places and environments have been exploited.
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Activities to facilitate learning |
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The following activities will enhance your learning on this topic.
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Watch |
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- To start exploring this topic, review the following video, which explores the impact of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
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Read |
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- Read the article by Ho et al. (2008) and reflect upon the links between colonisation, socioeconomic status and critical illness. This article is written by intensivists from Western Australia.
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Additional recommended resources |
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- Explore the Queensland Family and Child Commission information regarding child safety (pages 52-57 and 62-63)
- Read about the impact of colonisation on First Nations children on page 10 in Safer pathways through childhood
- Review information about colonisation on the National Museum of Australia website
- Explore the Australians Together website
- Review the Australian Law Reform Commission website
- Watch a documentary on the First Australians
- Review the Healing Foundation’s Timeline of Trauma and Healing
- Explore the relevance of Aboriginal political concepts
- Explore the Indigenous sense of belonging
- Read about the pandemic and the importance of ancient wisdom
- Find out about autonomous selfhood
Reflect on your learningSelect the image to answer the reflection question for this topic. |
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