Historical Impacts on Families Today

Running head: HISTORICAL IMPACTS ON FAMILIES TODAY
HISTORICAL IMPACTS ON FAMILIES TODAY
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Author Note

HISTORICAL IMPACTS ON FAMILIES TODAY
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Executive Summary
This report outlines the impact of the European settlement on the Aboriginal people and
Torres Strait Islanders, the people and the families. The impact on their life and culture, the
different policies and practices, of the government, are discussed in the report. The focus
areas in the report, specifies the effects of stolen generations, the long-term impacts on the
community. The health and well-being issues, the self-determination purposes are mentioned
in this report. The education and employment opportunities, for the future generations of the
community are well explained in this report structure.

HISTORICAL IMPACTS ON FAMILIES TODAY
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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Discussion..................................................................................................................................3
Family Structure and stolen Generation.................................................................................3
Health and Well-being of the Aboriginals.............................................................................4
Self-determination..................................................................................................................5
Loss of culture / language/ land /kingship.............................................................................6
Education and employment....................................................................................................7
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................8
References..................................................................................................................................9

HISTORICAL IMPACTS ON FAMILIES TODAY
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Introduction
The aboriginal society which lived in Australia for ages, adjusted perfectly to the
Australian environment, which was indeed very much harsh. However, gradually, the
European settlement resulted in a drastic impact, on the way, which the Aboriginal people
lived. The traditional Aboriginals lived a happy and amicable life with the Australian land.
They were very much careful in the way; they used the natural resources of the land and were
very much cautious while using the different resources of the land (Gee et al. 2014). The
tools, were made from most of the natural resources available, and could be recycled and
multi-purpose in nature. The region were very much scarce in availability of food and water,
but the centuries of experience enabled them, to find best available watering holes from the
caves or mountains and even edible food that were available. The arrival of European settlers
greatly had an impact on the life and livelihood of the aboriginal people. The fifty percent
population of the aboriginal population were almost killed, due to the foreign diseases like
small-pox, to which the indigenous people were not immune.
Discussion
Family Structure and stolen Generation
Aboriginal kinship and the particular family structures are still very much present and
strong forces present in the society, which specially binds the aboriginal people together.
Traditionally the aboriginal family, were collaboration of mothers and fathers, uncles,
aunties, sisters, brothers, cousins and so on. For the aboriginal people, this provides for the
psychological and emotional support, which is very much important for their respective well-
being. These people may often feel kinship and family structures are especially important.
They reflect the aboriginal family obligations, which are on the other hand seen as nepotism
by the rest of the European settlers in Australia (Fredericks 2013). The aboriginal people