Reflection on Indigenous Australians: Personal Views, Influences, Comparison and Inference

Running head: REFLECTION
Bachelor Nursing Assignment
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1REFLECTION
Indigenous Australians
The indigenous people of Australia comprise of two different cultural groups namely
the Aboriginals and the Torres Strait Islander people. These indigenous people have their
own customs and laws, which in turn facilitate determination of their distinct identity
(Tomyn, Norrish & Cummins, 2013). Until very recently I had very little knowledge or
awareness about the culture and heritage of the indigenous people. This essay will discuss my
personal views of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and my personal and/or
family history that defined my perception.
Personal Views
I hold the view that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are one of the most
marginalised and poor individuals of all people. Furthermore, I also hold the opinion that
these indigenous people reside in a community that is spiritually oriented. Although earlier, I
did not have much information regarding the indigenous community, discussions with my
peers helped me realise that they are most often subjected to racial discrimination even in
present times and most common discrimination is faced by them at their workplaces.
Following interaction with other people and conducting a literature study, I developed the
notion that these Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders consider their land as a sacred place.
Moreover, I also believed on the myth that the children of the Aboriginals were taken away
from their land for their good.
Influences
Upon researching about the history of the indigenous culture I gained a lot of
information regarding the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, which in turn
directly helped in busting the misconceptions that I had about these people. Literature study
helped me realise that these indigenous people have existed in the society in isolation for

2REFLECTION
more than 60,000 years and did not have any validated written history (Taylor, 2018). Most
information about the community was communicated through etchings, cave paintings and
stories that they used for recording their past. Engaging in effective interactions with one of
my peer and a relative who are pursuing research on the indigenous group, helped me
recognise that in spite of differences in the language and cultural patterns of more than 600
indigenous tribes, they lived in harmony, and each of them occupied a specific tract of land
that was considered as a sacred site. Thus, they value and respect their land and consider it as
a creation of a supreme being. Moreover, literature study helped to identify their creative
aspects such as, dance, song and art that were deeply ingrained in their spiritual and routine
rituals (Herrmann, Heinämäki & Morin, 2016). It also formed the idea that their spirituality
entailed a close association between the land and humans, commonly referred to as
‘Dreamtime’ (Brumm, 2017).
Comparison
Owing to my Nepalese culture, I could draw a fine comparison between these
Aboriginals and Torres Islanders and the Raute indigenous tribe of Nepal. This tribe is
considered the last nomadic group of Nepal and are primarily known for their hunting of
macaque monkeys and langurs. This Raute tribal community still lives by hunting, bartering
and gathering. They are not much seen in villages and reside in jungles of Nepal (Kawamoto,
2016). In contrast, by the early 1970s, the Aboriginals began to work at political offices
(Fredericks, 2013). Several campaigns and awareness programs were also conducted to
highlight the discrimination faced by the Australian indigenous tribe during the late 60s.
Furthermore, these indigenous people gradually began representing their country in sports
activity as well (Dalton et al., 2015). Conversely, the Raute people still follow a nomadic life
and fail to stay in same camps for two weeks or more due to food scares. Some of the most
common belongings of the Raute tribe are an axe, chisel and hatchet (Paudel, 2016). I have