Nursing Assignment on Impact of Colonization on Aboriginal People

Running head: NURSING ASSIGNMENT
NURSING ASSIGNMENT
Name of the Student
Name of the university
Author’s note

1NURSING ASSIGNMENT
1. The arrival of the Europeans has profoundly affected the lives of the aborigines and the
Torres Strait Islanders profoundly. Many has lost their lives and the lands were taken when
the colonizers have tried to impose new social, religious and economic rules and
regulations in the name of assimilation (Dudgeon et al., 2014). This has also exposed the
aboriginals to new diseases. The indigenous people went in to direct confrontation with the
British colonizers due to the disposing of the land occupied by the aboriginals from time
immemorial (Dudgeon et al., 2014).. The aboriginal people were taken away from the
aboriginal parents in the name of educating them and most of them were appointed as
laborers. Other impacts included child sexual abuse, introduction of alcohols and drugs and
racism and discrimination.
2. Some of the profound detrimental effects experience by the stolen generation:-
Physical health- The stolen generation were exposed to certain chronic illness due to
their changes in the food habits, introduced them to many communicable diseases. Most
of the stolen children were employed in the market, and hence suffered from malnutrition
due to lack of nutritious food.
Mental health-Most of the members of the stolen generation faces difficulties to form
bonds with the families. Affected by rejection or being unable to succeed as parents, they
often turn themselves to substance abuse, affecting their mental health. Many of the
aboriginal parents also went to psychological trauma after their children has been taken
from them (Waldram, 2014).

2NURSING ASSIGNMENT
Cultural losses- The stolen generation were taken from their parents and adopt a culture
that is different from their culture. Their names were changed and they were forbidden to
us their own language (Eades, 2013).
3. The impact of loss of land and culture on the aboriginal people –
 Historical impact- The colonization history had several impacts on the aboriginal people. The
history of the forced settlements caused thousands of aboriginals to live in institutions.
Previously, aboriginals used to thrive by using the resources of the nature and by hunting.
Loss of land caused rendered the aboriginals homeless (Dudgeon et al., 2017).
 Social impact- The aboriginal children had been separated from the aboriginal parents in the
name of reforms and assimilation. The aboriginal society was the outcome of interplay
between the economic, social, religious forces. Colonization history broke the social bonding
the aboriginal culture, as children were separated from their parents and where never
returned, due to which a section of aboriginals did not have any idea about family or
belongingness. (Axelsson, Kukutai, & Kippen, 2016). The colonization of the aboriginals
caused the aboriginal men to come in to the cities. Instead of agriculture, they were appointed
as factory workers or personal slaves. Instead of living in free paces with close proximity to
the rivers, lakes and the mountains, they had to accommodate in closed spaces, increasing the
chance of chronic illness and communicable diseases.
 Political impact- As the `British colonized the land of the aboriginals, they did it under the
paternalistic thought that is still evident in the Australian federal, territory and State
government. Paternalistic policies were introduced by the British government that restricted
the choices of the aboriginals (Paradies, 2016). Although the goals of these policies were to