Essay on First People Health- A Critical Reflection

UNIT:
NAME:
DATE:

Concept Map
Impact of Segregation
Stolen Generation Racism
Culture
alienation
Social
Darwinism
Dispossession
Devastated
I didn’t understand the
impact of racism to First
People health
Had not studied or been
taught the relationship
between racism and
indeginous health
It was assumed it not
important
Western Superiority
Was not taught in
the Western
Eduction
Did not want to
acknowledge the impact
of racism to indigenous
health
Was not taught
at home
Because they
didn’t know

Essay on First People Health- A Critical Reflection
The First People history continually impacts their health (Ewen, Mazel & Knoche, 2012). The
First People of Australia were faced with series of historical injustices that had profound impact
to their health. The First People were colonized that followed several government policies that
disrupted their lives. The process of colonization started in the 1700s and the policy eras
developed in different time period. Colonization and early government policies affected the First
People culture, values, and beliefs. They were also alienated from their ancestral land. One of the
historic policy eras that had impact on First People health was protection by segregation that was
dominant in 1890s to 1950s (Fuller, Howard, & Cummings, 2008). The key themes in this
context are racism, stolen generation, dispossession, culture alienation, and social Darwinism.
Segregation was the process of separating indigenous Australians from the other Australians who
were majorly White people (Ewen, Mazel & Knoche, 2012). Segregation was from the dominant
culture and the government policies that forced First People to think and act in a certain way and
live in particular areas (Sutherland, Hindmarsh, Moran, & Levesque, 2017). This led to issues of
stolen generation where First People children were taken away from them and they were forced
to reserve camps. Their land was taken, culture disrupted and they were expected to die out.
Social Darwinism expected all indigenous people would die out. The First People culture was
also alienated by forcefully placing different groups together that caused disharmony of the
many cultures of the indigenous Australians. From the historic study on first people health and
practice, I was resonated by the impact of racism to indigenous people health. I was devastated
how racism had profound impact on first people health that is still experienced in today’s
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders communities. In the following essay, I will reflect on
racism and it impact to indigenous people health as a result of segregation.
During the semester, I learnt about the racism and it impact to indigenous people health. I have
learnt how past events of segregation amounted to racism causing profound health effects that
are still in existence to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. As a white person, I am able to
reflect how it would feel being discriminated on basis of race that am born to. Born in a certain
race is not an individual choice and cannot be changed. Therefore, it an oppressive situation to be
discriminated on basis of race as it cannot be changed or reversed. I can imagine the depression
and psychological distress that indigenous people were subjected to by race discrimination that