Charles Sturt University: IKC100 - Indigenous Australian Health Report

This report examines the health of Indigenous Australian peoples, focusing on the historical injustices they have faced and their impact on healthcare access and outcomes. The report highlights how lack of proper healthcare institutions, limited access to education, and cultural insensitivity have negatively affected the health of Indigenous communities. The author draws upon history books, government websites, and course materials to illustrate the connection between historical events and present-day health disparities. The author acknowledges the limitations of their understanding, recognizing the importance of lived experiences. The report concludes with a call for increased efforts to bridge the healthcare gap and emphasizes the need for healthcare professionals to be culturally competent and aware of the unique circumstances affecting the health of Indigenous Australians, advocating for equitable healthcare for all.

Running head: HEALTH OF INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIAN PEOPLES
Health of Indigenous Australian Peoples
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

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Health of Indigenous Australian Peoples
The historical injustices that the indigenous people went through have impacted their
health in many ways. Most of these impacts are negative. One way through which history
impacts the indigenous people is through lack of proper healthcare institutions (Best &
Fredericks, 2018). The colonisers regarded the indigenous people as inferior to them and
disregarded their health. Such injustices have led to negative impacts that are felt up to date.
Lack of adequate access to education opportunities throughout history have also made the
indigenous people be disadvantaged when it comes to health. Lack of access to education
meant that there are no doctors and other medical personnel hailing from the indigenous
communities. While it is important to appreciate the culture of every people group in our
society, the colonisers did not appreciate the culture of the indigenous people. Failure to
acknowledge the culture of the indigenous people has significantly contributed to lack of
adequate access to healthcare services.
My knowledge about the narratives/ history of Australian culture and impacts on
health of indigenous people have come from several sources. First, I have learned through
history books. These books give a detailed historical account of the people of Australia both
during and after colonisation. After reading these books, it is quite easy to draw the line
connecting historical injustices and the health of the indigenous people. I have also learnt
about these impacts from governments’ websites. The federal government is doing of efforts
geared toward ensuring that the indigenous people are not at a disadvantaged point in many
facets of life including health and education. I have also learnt a great deal of information
from some of my course units.
It is important to appreciate that there may be limitations to what I know regarding the
history of the Australian people and the impacts it may have had on the health of the

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indigenous people. First, I appreciate that I may not understand very well what really
happened during the historical times. Having been born in the modern era, it may not be easy
to understand the kind of oppression and injustice that the indigenous people went through. It
is only those people who experienced these things who may be able to give a true picture of
what exactly happened and what they feel about it.
Knowledge about the narrative/ history of Australian people have impacted both my
individual and professional standpoint. First, as an individual I think that it is important for
more efforts to be done to bridge the healthcare gap that exists between the indigenous people
and other people groups in Australia. It is important to do this for every person should be
treated equally and has a right to receive the best possible healthcare. As a professional, I am
of the opinion that healthcare professionals should be acquainted with the special
circumstances that affect the healthcare of indigenous people. For instance, they should be
equipped to appreciate the culture and the history of the indigenous people.

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Reference
Best, O. & Fredericks, B. (2018). The cultural safety journey: an Australian nursing context
in Yatdjuligin: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing and midwifery care, (pp.
46 – 63). Cambridge: United Kingdom.