Essay on Indigenous Health

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“The status of Indigenous health in contemporary Australia is a result of historic factors as well as contemporary socio-economic issues” (Hampton & Toombs, 2013, p. 1).

The poor health position of Indigenous Australians is a contemporary reflection of their historical treatment as Australia’s traditional owners. This treatment has led to Indigenous Australians experiencing social disadvantages, significantly low socio-economic status, dispossession, poverty and powerlessness as a direct result of the institutionalised racism inherent in contemporary Australian society.

Indigenous populations have been the carers and custodians of Australia and the Torres Strait for a period in excess of 60,000 years before being …show more content…
During 1970’s Indigenous Australians were beginning to become acknowledged as Australian citizens, this led to the development of the self-determination and self-management (1970’s-1990’s) programs (Hampton & Toombs, Racism, colonisation/colonialism and impacts on indigenous people, 2013). These policies were based on the slow acceptance of multiculturalism and the beginnings of Indigenous Australians involvement in Australian politics, although the actual amount of self-determination available to them was limited. When these polices were found to be ineffective the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (CAR) was established in 1992 to overcome differences and inequities between Indigenous Australians and the wider Australian community (Hampton & Toombs, Racism, colonisation/colonialism and impacts on indigenous people, 2013).

The Reconciliation movement (1990’s-present) seeks to advocate for Indigenous Australians rights, their place in our shared history and to establish economic independence among Indigenous Australians in order to promote equality for all Australians (Hampton & Toombs, Racism, colonisation/colonialism and impacts on indigenous people, 2013). Whilst government policy appears to be moving in the right direction, we are still a long way away from Indigenous autonomy and self-determination. All of these policies had a very detrimental effect on the health of Indigenous
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