Issues Faced by Aboriginal People in Australia

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Introduction
Life of aboriginal people has always remained tiring and hectic in all parts of the
world. This assignment takes into account three issues being faced by the aboriginal people
living in Australia. Different conceptual frameworks of sociology have been employed to
reflect upon the chosen issues. Specific emphasis is laid on concepts and motifs explained by
Ruth Hegarty in her autobiography, is that you, Ruthie? The chosen issues for this assignment
include settling aboriginals in concentration camps, lack of representation of aboriginals in
policy making and neglecting their social rise in terms of health, education and fundamental
human rights and freedoms. These issues have taken different course as time progressed.
Presently, the government is active to bring in positive change in the lives of these aboriginal
people. A great many successes in the fields of education and health have been achieved. The
elements of representation of the aboriginals, presence of an institute of body solely dedicated
to furthering causes and concerns and having a voice and say in the national policy are still
significantly lagging behind the optimal limit (Heupink, 2016). All these issues are viewed in
this assignment from the sociological perspective in order to understand the broader
significance and importance of these issues.
Settlement of Aboriginals in Concentration Camps
Australia is no different from other countries of the West as far as dealing with the
aboriginal population is concerned. Since the inception of the 19th century, Australians can be
seen impacting and influencing lives of the aboriginals often too drastically. As early as the
1830s the colonisation of Australia by the Europeans marked the beginning of foreign
assertion and subjugation of the native people which later became to be known as the
aboriginals (Malaspinas et al., 2016).
The colonisation and its impacts are always appalling for the natives even if the
colonising policies claim these to be for the good of the general public. With the colonisation

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of Australia, primarily Western Australia by the Europeans, the colonisers tended to
mainstream all the races and groups of the general public into the Western culture. For this
superficial aim these people were put into the reservation camps. This was never pursued in
true sense and spirit and it did not pay anything except trauma and painful memories to the
aboriginal people (Bird, O’Grady & Ulm, 2016).
The condition of these camps used to be utterly dilapidated and sickening. Most of the
children died in these camps out of those diseases that were curable by that time. As these
camps were isolated from the society, therefore, the policies furthered by the government for
these camps were different. This gave a major setback to the already worsened socio-
economic condition of the people. In order to move to the commercial and urban hubs of the
country, these people have had to struggle a lot and do something extraordinary to the already
limited and reserved fields and professions for them (Armillei & Lobo, 2017).
The Marxist school of thought says that the class division prevalent in the society
works to serve the interest of the elite class. In this scenario, during the course of history, the
colonisers have remained the elite diaspora, and the aboriginal people have been used to
serve their purposez. Likewise, after the independence of Australia, the government tried to
ooze out as many benefits as possible from these people especially in the form of forced
labours and recruitment against the wish and will of these people (Jackson, 2017).
Though the issues of fundamental rights and freedoms have been taken up by the
government quite seriously yet the political voice of the aboriginal people, lack significant
substance. The aboriginal people necessarily need to get into the mainstream. For this
purpose they need to go hand in hand with the state's policies. Not only this but active
leadership from the aboriginal leaders is also required.
Lack of Representation in Policy Making