The Status of Indigenous Health in Contemporary Australia

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The gap in health status between Australia’s first nation people and non-indigenous Australians is a result of numerous pivotal moments in Australia’s somewhat recent history. European colonization is the foremost cause for most, if not all of the socio-economic challenges that most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people would be confronted with in contemporary society. Understanding that the historical events, political policies and acts shaped our society into what it is today is key in trying to address the inequalities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ health status. The Cultural and social challenges that modern Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people may be confronted with due to the nature of the discrimination is prevalent in modern society and can be outlined in the ‘social detriments of health’ model. History plays a key role in modeling the backbone of modern society. Life of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people prior to European colonization was rich in essence of environmental sustainability, cultural balance, and spirituality and subsequently their overall health status was admirable. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples hunter-gatherer lifestyle was sustainable and effective. For the most part, acquiring the nutrients they needed to survive was met from this lifestyle. Indigenous people had immense knowledge for what the land had to offer and how it could benefit their communities, while still maintaining a sustainable balance with Mother Nature. (Saggers, S., & Gray, D. (1991). Their spiritual connection with the land in which they occupied was in my opinion, one of the main reasons for the success of their community. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people had r... ... middle of paper ... ...ears. London: Vintage. HREOC. (1997). Bringing them Home: Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families Lowell, A., Maypilama, E. & Biritjalawuy, D. (2003) Indigenous Health and Education: Exploring the connections. CRCATH, Darwin McDonald, J. (2010). Health Equity and the Social Determinants of Health in Australia. Social Alternatives. Vol.29 No.2.pp.34-40. Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families
April 1997 https://www.humanrights.gov.au/publications/bringing-them-home-chapter-10 (Saggers, S., & Gray, D. (1991). Traditional patterns of health and disease. In Aboriginal health and society : the traditional and contemporary Aboriginal struggle for better health (pp. 19-48). North Sydney : Allen & Unwin. )pg26-27)

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