Intergenerational Trauma and Indigenous Health

Sir William Dean (Couzos & Murray 1999, p. 1) said that ‘The past is never fully gone. It is absorbed
into the present and the future’. Discuss intergenerational trauma in relation to the state of
Indigenous health in the 21st century and include the implications for nursing or midwifery practice
Introduction
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander citizens have a historical overview that
remains affected on the basis of perception related to their health facilities and
relevant outcomes which has an important role to understand them. It includes the
aspect of colonisation of European that contributes for disconnection of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander people from their communities as well as facilities
respectively. However, it has been analysed that the problem of trauma, especially
the condition of intergenerational trauma is responsible for an effective contributes in
terms of psychological issues occurs between individuals belong to Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander community. In context of this paper, it will focus on the
discussion related to intergenerational trauma and reason behind this problem takes
place between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander citizens that is related to their
current health status. It will also include the description about final implications of
nursing.
What is Intergenerational trauma?
The term trauma refers to a psychological condition of a person in which their
psychological way of responding to mentally catastrophic as well as overwhelming
incidents that cannot be deal with easily and hence left emotional scars of the same.
It can be considered as a kind of problem that can be transmitted from first general
who has observed or experienced the traumatic incidents directly to the subsequent
generation. Meanwhile, it has been evaluated that the problem of intergenerational

trauma is capable to transmit with the help of behavioural issues, use of harmful
substances, mental health problems and parenting practices.
Why Indigenous peoples in Australia have Intergenerational trauma?
In context of people belongs to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, it has been
identified that they suffer from trauma and it is consider to be an outcome of
colonisation. It consist the problem of violent activities, loss of land & culture and
oppressive policies including forced elimination of kids from their families. However,
these are some of reasons due to which the problem of trauma can easily passed
from one generation to next generation along with having enormous effects
accordingly. Moreover, the relevant investigations indicates individual who were
experienced trauma then they are more likely to get involved in few of activities like
develop life style diseases, self-destructive behaviours variety of mental health
problems and many more.
1. Overview of Colonisation
The attempt of colonisation has been started which Europeans (British) were moved
to the Botany Bay which is situated nearby Sydney now. They are responsible for
occupying lands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in order to fulfil
economic purposes accordingly. However, it has been analysed that indigenous
people put efforts and even fight with shepherds and their flocks as well as
homesteads. It includes the fact that European reattributed predominantly through
the military with massacres not only of warriors but also children and women against
indigenous citizens. Moreover, it is observed that the attempt of colonisation has its
own aim of to remove Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in order to enable
the development land area they have with them. Meanwhile, them poisoned floor

was provided and intentional deadly disease were introduced to their community like
chicken pox & influenza that has enormous impact on indigenous people as they do
not have enough immunity to such kind of viruses common to Europeans.
It has been evaluated that the fighting skills of people belongs to Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander community is not sufficient to stand against Europeans as it is
not required for them to face fights of large level. It includes the fact that Europeans
had horses, military and guns along with their superior benefit of winning war related
to the land area. Meanwhile, it is observed that aboriginal people were gravitated
due to increasingly occupied lands towards European settlements as their disrupted
food supplies because of convenience of European tobacco, food and implements.
However, the practice of colonisation is responsible to drive high death rate and low
birth rates among Aboriginal people whose estimated population was around only
75000 individuals at the turn of 20th century. It considers the situation of disrupting
related to aboriginal people that they become fringe dwellers to white society. Their
survival become problematic then they gets subjected to government regulations
which are supportive to protect them.
2. Racism
It is required to consider the differentiation and way of interaction due to which
people get oppressed by their racial background in past and present scenario.
The practice colonisation is responsible for long legacy of racism in Australia. It
includes that racism impact on people related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islanders community in various contexts. Meanwhile, it is observed that improved
knowledge of racism states that it is kind of rejection in society by believing on