European Settlement Impact on Aboriginal and Islander Families

This report analyzes the profound and multifaceted impact of European settlement and subsequent government policies on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and families. It delves into the devastating effects on family structures, including the long-term consequences of the Stolen Generation, examining the disruption of kinship, the loss of ancestral lands, and the challenges faced by those separated from their families. The report further explores the impacts on health and well-being, highlighting issues such as mistrust of healthcare systems, increased rates of depression, and chronic pain. The erosion of self-determination, the loss of cultural identity, language, and land, and the disparities in education and employment opportunities are also investigated. The report underscores the historical injustices and lasting legacies of these policies, offering a comprehensive overview of the challenges and impacts on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

IMPACT THAT EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT HAS HAD ON ABORIGINAL
AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLE AND FAMILIES
European settlement in the Aboriginal and the Torres Strait islander people have had
several disadvantages. Loss of land and culture, resettlements, giving up children to
institutions, severe effect on health are some of the disadvantages they have had to bear. In
this report, the impact of European settlement and government policies on the Aboriginal and
Torres Strait people on various elements will be articulated.
Family structure
After European settlement, the Aboriginal and the Torres Strait islander people lost
their families, since there was splitting up as people were being displaced from their ancestral
lands. Several aspects of their lives were affected, and up to date, many are still trying to
locate their family members. there have been severe effects on those who were stolen,
referred to as the stolen generation. For some, the bond with their families was hard to re-
ignite. Others have had a chance to meet their families but they live as strangers since they do
not know each other. Additionally, there has been havoc accepting love from their family
members, since they do not know how to love or how to parent their children.
Consequently, most people from the Aboriginal community don’t know how to
maintain relationships with other people. Apart from that, most of these people have very
short family trees. According to sources, their family trees cannot go for more than two
generations.
Health and well-being
Due to fear and mistrust, most Aboriginal people ignore the available health services.
For example, some of these people who are waiting to birth a new born will practically refuse
to go to hospital, due to fear that their new born may be taken away from them. Apart from

that, most of them, especially young girls are always depressed, making them result to
alcohol and drug abuse. Studies show that the depression rate in members of the stolen
generation is greater than that in normal Aboriginal people by two-fold. As if that is not
enough, some of these people suffer from chronic pain due to misinterpretation in their
nervous system, following past trauma and pain.
Self determination
Self-determination is a term no person from the Aboriginal community knows about.
The impacts on self-determination were severe. Most people from the stolen generation lost
their self-esteem and were overcome by a feeling of being valueless. This stole away their
self-determination. They also lost their sense of identity and self-motivation, which are key to
self-determination. As if that is not enough, most of them were overcome by a feeling of
loneliness.
Loss of culture
There has been massive loss of the Aboriginal culture among the stolen generation.
This is due to inadequate passage of cultural knowledge to this generation. Not only was
there loss of this cultural sense, but also loss of their ancestral land and language.
Education and employment
On education and employment, the Aboriginal people were quite unprivileged. The
members of the stolen generation were raised and brought up to be slaves and servants. They
received little care and less education, which was perceived as poor and of low quality. Due
to this reason, these people are unlikely to get employment.