Cultural Safety of Aboriginal People in Australia

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN AUSTRALIA 5 Running Head: INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN AUSTRALIA 0 Cultural Safety of Aboriginal People Introduction In this paper, the discussion will be based on the Aboriginal people of Australia and their disadvantaged conditions in relevance to the serious issues affecting the health and the community services. It is an important process related to the Aboriginal health imbalance prevailing in Australia which includes the absence of equivalent opportunity to primary health care and the low standard of health infrastructure found in the ATSI groups that are

Running Head: INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN AUSTRALIA 0
Cultural Safety of Aboriginal People

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Introduction
In this paper, the discussion will be based on the Aboriginal people of Australia and their
disadvantaged conditions in relevance to the serious issues affecting the health and the
community services. It will also examine the historical and contemporary concern in regard
to such people. Also, explaining the various strategies along with evaluating the services of
the provisions in respect to the indigenous communities, its elders and the other individuals.
The procedures related to the consultation and negotiation that will help in identifying the
cultural safety of such people and will further develop appropriate policies within such
people.
Indigenous People and its Disadvantaged Issues
The Indigenous People are those who have been residing in distinct conditions and societies
away from the general public of Australia. They are also recognized as the ATSI people of
Australia. These groups have their own culture, customs, and languages. Each of their
identities which are related to the physical and spiritual state is directly dependent upon the
place and the surroundings they live in (Ayendi, 2014). Such indigenous people are facing a
low quality of life in terms of their health, education, employment, etc.
It is observed that from the past 200 years the indigenous people have been the actual victims
of unfairness, discrimination and are also known to be the most disadvantaged sections of
Australia. The population of Australia comprises of 2.6% of the indigenous Australians living
in worst conditions. It has been determined that all the long-term diseases related to alcohol
are affecting the Indigenous Australians which is found almost double to the people living in
the mainstream of Australia (Carey et al., 2017). However, such indigenous people are
experiencing well-being and community problems which are from the consequences and
usage of intoxicants at a disproportionate rate in contrast to the non-Indigenous Australians.

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The consumption of such inflammatory substances has extensively impacted on the
Indigenous people including their families, communities and largely on the Australian
community (Green et al., 2016).
In considering the appreciation towards the contemporary realities of the ATSI of Australia
so, their cultural system of living life needs to be understood. It has been recognized that
population well-being and inconsistency is regulated by many factors which are connected to
each other with social and cultural aspects. It is an important determinant related to the
Aboriginal health imbalance prevailing in Australia which includes the absence of equivalent
opportunity to primary health care and the low standard of health infrastructure found in the
ATSI groups that are differentiated from the other Australians (Grant & Greenop, 2018).
The given examples analyze both the aspects including the contemporary and the historical
impacts on the indigenous people’s health. It is firstly dealing with the term i.e. racism which
is reportedly affecting and negatively impacting both the physical and the mental health. The
contemporary reflection also involves poverty and inequality that is experienced by the
indigenous people is considered under historical treatment. In accordance with the Western
Australian Aboriginal Child Health Survey 2001-02 report where it was examined regarding
the Indigenous children who were found to be 21.5% experiencing racism in over six months
(Lowe & Yunkaporta, 2018). Furthermore, the children were separated from their natural
household which were declared by the National ATSI Social Survey 2002 at the total ratio of
38% (ABS, 2004). Thus, it impacted several generations of the indigenous people with
harshly affecting their health and well-being.
Secondly, the Indigenous women’s prisoners in Australia are discovered to be the victims of
brutality, impoverishment, loss, and cultural malfunction. They are more likely to face
vulnerable challenges while getting distressed of drugs, violence and alcohol abuse which are

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resulting in poor physical and mental health at a very higher risk. The Reconciliation is a
process which is made to clear and work on the disadvantage dimensions of the Indigenous
group’s such as the social and the historical factors that can change the scenario of the current
Indigenous practical consequences (Price, 2015).
The consultation and the negotiation procedure need to be encouraged for the cultural safety
of the Indigenous persons and their communities. They can get an environment which is
known to be culturally safe and secure in their own identity. This concept provides
diminished rights and such process where a community can debate in resolving the
contemporary of violence without any forceful means and fear. However, this states that all
the cultural needs should be included in the policies and practices that can benefit their
working strategies and the more level of service opportunities can be given to such
indigenous communities (Ung, 2015). The purpose of this procedure is to focus on effective
justice and the sustainability that can transform change within the health system and the
cultural safety strategies to have a satisfactory environment.
The various reforms have been planned and negotiated for effectively funding and ensuring
significant accountability towards Indigenous health care. It can be more productive and
reliable when the changes in the government agencies and their arrangement for the
community control are established with an aim to enhance the primary health care of the
Indigenous people with implementing such reforms across the territories. This way the
government will initiate their responsibilities for strengthening the health care system.
The execution of the awareness in the case of Indigenous people has to be successfully
incorporated at a work-place. Moreover, such execution should be free of any sort of cultural
biases and the working conditions must be of equity nature for every individual. The cultural
realities must be practiced in such a way that it does not lead to improper treatment and shall

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not be discriminated on grounds of race, colour, national origin and the ethnic origin. The
Indigenous community service workers need to be conscious of their values in supporting
their needs and between the co-workers in making such decisions through valid negotiation
and discussion. When working in partnerships with the Indigenous people with considering
the strengths of the traditional and other knowledge and practices achieving the aspects of
economic, health, social and cultural benefits. The partnership shall be such that reflects the
respectful interactions and mutual understanding between the people.
Conclusion
The above discussion concluded a wide range of issues that seeks to indicate the connections
between the low socio-economic statuses, health-related problems, and poverty of the
Indigenous people in Australia. It is also reflecting on the non-recognition and non-
enjoyment of their human rights and distinct culture characteristics which is immensely
affecting their community. They are experiencing much of disadvantage in many spheres
related to the survival of their cultures and well-being. However, all societies must attempt to
close the gaps in relation to health care equity within a generation. The only way to overcome
the cultural barriers and the cultural safety in respect to the Indigenous people can fully attain
equitable access to healthcare in the future.

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References
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IMPAIRMENT OF NATIVE TITLE CLAIM ON ABORIGINAL CHILDREN AND IN
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Grant, & Greenop, , 2018. Affirming and Reaffirming Indigenous Presence: Contemporary
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Green, M., Cunningham, J. & ’Connell, D., 2016. Improving outcomes for Aboriginal and
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Lowe, K. & Yunkaporta, T., 2018. The inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
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Price, J., 2015. Knowledge of Life: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia.
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Ung, R., 2015. Indigenous People in Australia and Inequality. ELORUS, p.7.
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