Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' Health Flashcards

Define cultural safety.

The ongoing critical reflection of practitioner knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviours, and power differentials in delivering safe and responsive healthcare free of racism. It is determined by ATSI people and families.

What are the 6 cultural determinants of health for ATSI people?

1. Connection to country

2. Indigenous beliefs and knowledge

3. Indigenous language

4. Family, kinship, and community

5. Cultural expression and continuity

6. Self-determination and leadership

Why is there no written record of life in Australia before 1788?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people passed down information and culture through oral traditions (stories and songs). Some archaeology like paintings, footprints, and rock carvings show objective evidence of life.

What is cultural fire used for?

Fuel reduction, food, fibre, medicine regeneration and management, fauna habitat protection, and the healing of Country spirit.

Describe the Wilto (Southern Cross) constellation significance.

The Aboriginal people of the Adelaide Plains have an eagle constellation called Wilto. The southern cross represents the raptor’s foot. Nations share the southern cross story as the eagle’s foot. It is viewed as a place where deceased spirits travel up to the heavens.

Define settler colonialism.

The historical process where European settlers replaced Aboriginal people on their land, attempting to eliminate culture and society through massacres, forced displacement, and disease to establish a new society that claimed land ownership, justified by ‘terra nullius’.

Define intent to replace.

Settler colonialism aimed to replace existing Indigenous populations with new settler societies unlike traditional colonialism which focused on resource extraction.

Define land dispossession.

Seizure of Indigenous land and its allocation to European settlers.

Define cultural assimilation.

Attempts to integrate Indigenous people into settler culture, through forced removal of children so their identity would be lost over time. They proposed that “full blood” children should be allowed to die out through natural elimination while “half castes” should assimilate into white culture.

What was the impact of assimilation and protection on ATSI people?

Its policies included separate education, town curfews, alcohol bans, no social security, lower wages, state guardianship over all children, segregation of living spaces, and forcible removal of children for placement in white institutions or foster homes.

Describe the Stolen Generations.

Occurred between 1910s and 1970s, disguised as child welfare. Children were placed in foster care or forcibly adopted, experiencing significant abuse and neglect.

Describe the Victorian Aboriginal Protection Act of 1869.

It allowed mixed children to be removed from reserves, forcing them to assimilate into white society. They were not allowed to speak traditional languages, participate in cultural activities, and they were forced to adopt new names and identities.

Describe the Aborigines Protection Amending Act.

Established in 1915 to give the Protection Board the authority to remove Aboriginal children without having to establish in court that the children were subject to neglect by their own families.

Describe the purpose of group homes.

Many stolen children were placed in group homes like the Cootamundra Girls Training Home where they were taught housekeeping and farm handling so they could serve white families. They experienced abuse and neglect in many forms, including physical and sexual abuse.

Describe the Aborigines Welfare Board.

Established in 1969 which resulted in all States and Territories having revoked legislation that allowed for the removal of Aboriginal children under ‘protection’ policies.

What are some immediate implications of forced removal?

Mistrust, loss of culture, lost family, lost language, psychological harm, physical injury and neglect.

What are some ongoing implications of forced removal?

Intergenerational trauma, increased likelihood of developing chronic conditions like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, loss of identity, loss of connection to culture and land.

Describe the impacts of the Stolen Generations on survivors as they age.

Survivors are more likely to develop dementia because of their trauma. Those with dementia experience higher barriers to accessing care. Triggers include things reminding them of trauma (clinical settings resembling institutions), authoritative tones of voice, gestures, facial expressions, and general situations bringing back a feeling of a lack of control.

Define trauma-informed practice.

A strengths-based approach to healing that is responsive to the impacts of trauma, prioritising cultural, spiritual, psychological and physical safety, but does not avoid addressing sensitive and triggering issues. Providers are skilled in managing the effects of triggering conversations, and empowering people through increased understanding of their lived experiences.

Define racism.

A phenomenon that results in avoidable, unfair inequalities in power, resources, or opportunities across societal groups. It can be expressed through beliefs, prejudices, or behaviours, and can be based on race, ethnicity, culture, and religion.

Define individual racism.

Involves 2 or more people where one person expresses negative attitudes and beliefs about someone else or a specific group.

Define institutional racism.

Formal and informal, intended and unintended. Involves actions by institutions or systems that systematically privilege members of a certain racial group and disadvantage other minority groups. It reflects the cultural assumptions of the main group (seen as the norm), and is exhibited in health outcomes.

Define cultural racism.

Views minority groups as the cause of their disadvantage. Cultural context and behaviours are blamed while structural factors and institutional racism aren’t acknowledged. For example, beliefs that poverty is caused by cultural behaviours attributed to specific minority groups are assumed to prevent successful participation in contemporary society.

Define environmental racism.

Related to policies/practices that disproportionately affect certain population groups in relation to living and health. For example, inadequate living conditions (no access to clean water and electricity) negatively impact health and wellbeing. Minority groups suffer disproportionate health conditions and a lower life expectancy as a result.

Define ideological racism.

Social myths about, and representation of certain groups.

Define micro-aggressions.

Intended and unintended, like moving away from a person in a store or on public transport.

Define stereotypes.

Fixed, over-generalised beliefs about a particular group of people, inferring that a person has a range of characteristics that one assumes all members of this group have.

Define bias.

Disproportionate weight in favour of or against someone/something. While we process bias consciously or unconsciously, it can have unintended consequences or unfairly influence decision-making and thinking.

Define unconscious bias.

Refers to attitudes and patterns of perceptions held subconsciously. They influence thoughts and actions that result in the creation of unfair advantages or disadvantages without the person’s awareness. They cause negative consequences and unintended discrimination for those subject to it.

Define white privilege.

Inherent advantages possessed by a white person on the basis of their race in a society characterised by racial inequality and injustice. They are formed through society that treats white people as the racial norm. It explains that any disadvantages white people face is not because of their race.

What are some “benefits” of systemic white privilege?

Access to higher education, well paying jobs, safe neighbourhoods to live in, police protection, and other basic civil liberties.

Describe the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan.