Acts of Bias against Indigenous Australians: A Global Perspective

Indigenous Cultures: A Global Perspective
Self-determination of Indigenous Australians
The right to self-determination and autonomy has particular relevance to the Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander communities who are recognised as the first people of Australia.
Self-determination is identified as an ongoing process of choice to ascertain that Indigenous
communities have to come to terms to attain their social, cultural as well as economic needs and
demands. However, this right is not about creating a separate Indigenous state (Paradies 2016). The
right of self-determination for the Australian Indigenous however concerns that every individual has
the independence from any acts of inequality and discrimination under the ICCPR article 2.1 and 26.
Bodkin-Andrews and Carlson (2016) have mentioned that all members belonging to any form of
linguistic minority groups will receive equal privilege and try to benefit from their own culture and
for the practice their religion.
Indigenous cultural autonomy struggle and its impact experience of Indigenous Australians since the
European settlement is replete with the emancipation of the cultural identity practices and
knowledge by the dominant cultural group in Australia (Lalloo et al. 2016). However, in the first
century of settlement, several forms of issues and suppression involved forceful land disposition, the
incidence of critical diseases and slavery. In such scenarios, one of the important types of separation
and social drama was compelling the Indigenous Australians to embrace Western religion and reject
their spiritual perceptions and ideologies (Paradies 2016).
The critical interventions into Indigenous cultural knowledge and practices propensity to completely
suppress the efficiency of their cultural worldview and further lead to anxiety and trauma. Such
struggles related to cognition and behaviour which are still prevalent among the Indigenous
Australians and have been like into the symptomatology of post-traumatic stress syndrome (Bodkin-
Andrews and Carlson 2016).
Challenges of cultural autonomy have resulted in the rise of Indigenous imprisonment, substance
abuse, drug dependence, infant mortality along with general medical conditions on lower life
expectancies. Studies mention that the Australian Indigenous people exhibit increased level of self-
reported hopelessness and irritability along with Insomnia which results tend to have a less life
expectancy and advance towards mental disorders in comparison to the Non-Indigenous Australian
population (Droogendyk et al. 2016).
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Brolan, C.E. and Harley, D., 2018. Indigenous Australians, Intellectual Disability and Incarceration:
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Jacklin, K.M., Henderson, R.I., Green, M.E., Walker, L.M., Calam, B. and Crowshoe, L.J., 2017.
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Paradies, Y., 2016. Colonisation, racism and indigenous health. Journal of population
research, 33(1), pp.83-96.
Significant colonization issues
Colonization tends to have many harmful and unconstructive consequences where buy one of the most
critical has been the eradication of aboriginal children from their families. During colonization majority
of the Australian Indigenous families have experienced a detrimental confiscation of children is the
placement of the entire family into reserves or other similar institutions (Paradies 2016).
Clark and Augoustinos (2015) in their articles observed a period of historical events when infants and
children who wear typically ‘part white’ were removed from their biological families to develop aspects
of civilization between them. These children were placed into Institutions for educational and training
purposes to correspond with the white society as menials.
According to Gould et al. (2017), forcible removal of infants and children along with their subsequent
the impact has been in recent times playing a significant part of the Indigenous Australian narrations. In
such occasion of children of part of original descent from families in communities to give them
significant even used to assimilate into the white world had been recognised as standard practice from
the early phase of the 20th century which lasted until the 1980’s (Clark and Augoustinos 2015).
However, a significant to know that in countries like Australia such a practice of abolition of
Indigenous children from families and communities was not only determined with the aim of
incorporation but also purposed to attain the degeneration of Indigenous in Aboriginal communities and
further to alter the association between Indigenous people and their environment (Brolan and Harley
2018).
Continual acts of bias experienced by Australian Aboriginals
•According to reports by Beyondblue.org.au (2018) organisation renowned self-governing non-profit
organisation as many as one out of five Non-Indigenous Australians would admit that they would prefer to
avoid communicating with Indigenous Australians at public places or not recruit and Indigenous to a particular
job even if the individual skills shoot the desired role for the occupation. Negative opinions and stereotypes act
as an obstacle to reducing inequality against Indigenous Australians (Beyondblue.org.au 2018).
•Bodkin-Andrews and Carlson (2016) have found that over 45% of Aboriginals in Australia receiving
unjustifiable advantages from the administration and government. Furthermore, the male population and
individuals living in Western Australia have shown the higher degree of inclination in signifying Indigenous
Australians as being highly exhausted and incompetent in accomplishing several tasks.
•However, as per Möllere et al. (2015) it is essential to note that such lack of ability are not being taken into
consideration by the Non-Indigenous people which results in a meagre degree of motivation and enthusiasm
towards the aboriginals to shape their behaviour and circumvent any form of inequality or injustice.
Inequality Against Aboriginals Across the World
•There are various instances of Ireland racism which Indigenous people experience in contemporary
society. Brolan and Harley (2018) reveal that as an association and original men show created degree of
inclination in facing violence by authorities or individuals. However, on the other hand, it is the aboriginal
women who tend to tolerate the brunt of visualised violence in Canada. Furthermore, in experiencing a
more significant amount of interpersonal atrocities in comparison to non-aboriginal women, the women of
Indigenous communities of Canada are witnessed to be at a higher risk of harassment by the authorities
(Paradies 2016).
•The Indigenous women also have reported encountering a phenomenon that is signified as a visualised
misogyny which tends to faster and legitimacy physical as well as social atrocities perpetrated against
them under the exponentially demeaned social status that is being a woman alongside an aboriginal.
However, examples of such detrimental acts can be related to the sudden disappearance of around 60
women majority of which belong to the Indigenous communities from Vancouver Downtown Eastside
between the period of 1980 to 2002 (Agyeman et al. 2016).
•Meanwhile, in other parts of the world Indigenous people have to encounter certain forms of impediments
in attaining education. Such forms of obstacles result in them in facing discrimination which excludes
them from the access to schools and assimilates them from the mainstream culture (Paradies 2016).
•Droogendyk et al. (2016) have stated that in Guatemala; only 50% of the Indigenous girls aged seven
receive education in comparison to the significant 75% of non-Indigenous girls. Furthermore, the overall
standard of the educational institutions in the areas where these Indigenous children live are typically
remote and undeveloped regions which are regarded to be lower.
•In addition to these several Indigenous children in the US and Canada are sent to notorious residential
schools where typically experience physical punishment for speaking their native language is most
importantly unable to show utmost proficiency in speaking English (Jacklin et al. 2017). Contact with
parents and families also being highly disregarded.
Oppressive legislative procedure during colonization
State control and intervention in the lives of Australian Indigenous were highly extensive at the time
of colonization. Paradies (2016) has stated that not a single Aboriginal individual could remain
untouched by the stringent legislation that was implemented across the nation.
However, it is essential to recognise that the Australian Indigenous and White Supporters have
continued to pose resistance and face challenges for equality since the time of colonization. It was
during 1920 that the movement for Indigenous rights and privileges began with the establishment of
aboriginal political organisations specifically Australian Aborigines League that was led by William
Cooper and the highly progressive Aborigines Association that was led by William Ferguson (Brolan
and Harley 2018).
Acts of Bias against Indigenous Australians
Inequality is identified as a justice issue that is deeply embedded in Australian societies encompasses unequal accessibility to arrange services and avenues which are fundamental to an individual's
welfare (Bodkin-Andrews and Carlson 2016). However, a substantial amount of inequality in races in which currently exists in the Australian society is regarded as a direct impact of the perpetuation of
racism and prejudicial perceptions and beliefs.
According to Möllere et al. (2015) such detrimental perceptions are established on the belief that an individual’s skin colour, place of birth or mainly cultural and ethnic background makes them
insignificant of specific human rights and privileges.
Although racism tends to have a detrimental implication on equality rights in Australian societies, it still prevails on a daily basis and poses a huge impact on the Indigenous communities of Australia
(Bodkin-Andrews and Carlson 2016). Indigenous Australians are recognised as a cultural group in Australia who have been exposed to immense inequalities because of racist ideologies and practices.
Australian Indigenous communities are further recognized as Australia’s first people of the land. However, such an elevated position failed to prevent the Aboriginal communities from facing immense
vulnerability and inequality from the Non-Indigenous people of Australia (Lalloo et al. 2016).
Bodkin-Andrews and Carlson (2016) have revealed that with an Australian rate of discrimination and Prejudice against Indigenous Australians has currently being considered to be one of the most
predominant forms of discrimination. However observing acts of inequality and injustice is extensive with over half of the Non-Indigenous Australians claiming that they have witnessed acts of bias
towards the Indigenous people of Australia (Möllere et al. 2015).
References