tag:theconversation.com,2011:/institutions/batchelor-institute-of-indigenous-tertiary-education-1937/articlesBatchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education2022-12-06T19:03:16Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1957152022-12-06T19:03:16Z2022-12-06T19:03:16Z‘A life changing experience’: how adult literacy programs can keep First Nations people out of the criminal justice system<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498771/original/file-20221203-23-ong94r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5708%2C3819&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Photo credit: Adam Sharman</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Despite years of discussion and countless reviews, the incarceration rate of First Nations adults continues to <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/first-closing-the-gap-report-since-historic-agreement-shows-mixed-progress/xtem8i67j">increase</a> in Australia. The federal government has <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-30/closing-the-gap-report-released/101713892">said</a> it will address this via “justice reinvestment”. That means funding programs that keep people out of the justice system. </p>
<p>Justice reinvestment reduces ever-growing criminal justice system costs, which frees up more funding to invest in communities. That keeps more people out of the system. And so the positive cycle continues.</p>
<p>One part of the justice reinvestment picture may be boosting literacy rates. In fact, a growing body of research shows the crucial role community-controlled adult literacy campaigns can play in reducing crime and improving justice outcomes.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/to-lift-literacy-levels-among-indigenous-children-their-parents-literacy-skills-must-be-improved-first-78827">To lift literacy levels among Indigenous children, their parents' literacy skills must be improved first</a>
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<h2>A 65% drop in serious offences after literacy training</h2>
<p>An estimated <a href="https://www.news.com.au/national/one-in-eight-aussies-are-functionally-illiterate-but-theres-no-national-policy-to-help/news-story/8b3a7f57edbd14bc3db23375fc361bf6">40-70%</a> of First Nations adults have low literacy.</p>
<p>Our research has focused on boosting literacy rates among First Nations adults via free programs rolled out by the <a href="https://www.lflf.org.au/">Literacy for Life Foundation</a>. </p>
<p>These programs involve more than 100 hours of adult literacy classes and activities, led by local Aboriginal staff, over a period of six months. </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.crimejusticejournal.com/article/view/2201/1224">study</a>, published in the <a href="https://www.crimejusticejournal.com/">International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy</a>, found that after participation in the Literacy for Life Foundation adult literacy campaign, serious offences by students dropped by almost 65%.</p>
<p>The research was conducted as a before-and-after study looking at six communities in New South Wales. It included 162 participants who were all students in Literacy for Life Foundation’s Aboriginal adult literacy campaign. We also drew on NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research data. Study participants consented to researchers examining their criminal offence records relating to the 12-month period prior to participation in the literacy campaign, and 12-month period after participation.</p>
<p>The study also drew on more than 100 interviews with students, staff, community members, service providers and criminal justice practitioners.</p>
<p>We found:</p>
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<li><p>total offences recorded (including those categorised as serious, plus other categories) declined by 32% (from 71 to 48)</p></li>
<li><p>among women in the study, total offences halved (from 40 to 20).</p></li>
<li><p>the largest reductions related to traffic offences (down 50%, from 14 to seven), public order offences (down 56%, from nine to four) and theft offences (down from five to zero).</p></li>
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<p>One community leader described the impact for one participant by saying:</p>
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<p>By the time he’d finished, he came out the other side not only having the ability to read and write, but he also came out of the other side with a licence. So that was a life-changing experience.</p>
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<h2>Low literacy can mean more contact with the justice system</h2>
<p>Our study is among a growing body of <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/ti_yes_i_can_031218.pdf">research</a> that highlights the correlation between low adult literacy and contacts with the police.</p>
<p>So what’s one got to do with the other?</p>
<p>Lower levels of English literacy are considered one of many factors contributing to <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/australian-journal-of-indigenous-education/article/abs/popular-education-for-adult-literacy-and-health-development-in-indigenous-australia/653BE7C4CF6C1079B05D91352E52475B">continued inequalities</a> in health and social outcomes for Indigenous peoples. One major area of inequality is in crime and justice. </p>
<p>Systemic racism and discriminatory policies across multiple sectors and over generations have contributed to Indigenous Australians facing <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/ongoing/overcoming-indigenous-disadvantage/2020">more contacts</a> with police, higher rates of incarceration and more contact with courts.</p>
<p>For many Indigenous people, entry into the judicial system is through minor, non-violent offences such as <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1037969X18788677">traffic infringements</a>, in part due to insufficient literacy skills needed to <a href="https://equityhealthj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12939-016-0422-9">pass a written driver’s licence</a> test. </p>
<p>Low levels of English literacy <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/175896">also affect</a> a person’s ability to understand their legal rights, seek legal counsel and read official documentation such as court attendance notifications. Not showing up to court proceedings can also result in additional charges being laid. </p>
<p>Convictions for these minor offences leave people with a criminal record, which make it hard to get a job. That can exacerbate issues with health and social wellbeing and perpetuate cycles of disadvantage. </p>
<p>Building basic literacy skills <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/research-and-statistics/publications/all-publications/vocational-education-and-training-provision-and-recidivism-in-queensland-correctional-institutions">can help</a> keep people out of jail, and for those in prison, participation in literacy and numeracy programs while in custody can help reduce recidivism (reoffending). </p>
<p>The Literacy for Life Foundation has recently started work with Indigenous people serving sentences in prison and it is hoped the trends highlighted in our study can be replicated. </p>
<p>What’s already clear is that community-led adult literacy campaigns can help reduce serious offences among participants by well over 50%, meaning the benefits extend beyond just helping people to read and write.</p>
<p>Research on this can help justice reinvestment programs, turning policy aspirations into practical action.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/once-students-knew-their-identity-they-excelled-how-to-talk-about-excellence-in-indigenous-education-193394">'Once students knew their identity, they excelled': how to talk about excellence in Indigenous education</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/195715/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jack Beetson is Executive Director, The Literacy for Life Foundation and Co-chair, Just Reinvest NSW. He receives funding from state and federal governments and was a Partner Investigator on the ARC Linkage Project which part-funded the research detailed in this article.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Melanie Schwartz is Deputy Dean (Education) at UNSW Sydney. She has received funding from the Australian Research Council for research into justice reinvestment. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Pat Anderson is Chair, Batchelor Institute, Director, The Literacy for Life Foundation, Chair, Remote Area Health Corps and Co-chair, Uluru Dialogue. She receives funding from state and federal governments and was a Partner Investigator on the ARC Linkage Project which part-funded the research detailed in this article.
</span></em></p>After participation in the Literacy for Life Foundation adult literacy campaign, serious offences by students dropped by almost 65%.Jack Beetson, Executive Director, The Literacy for Life Foundation; Adjunct Professor, University of New EnglandMelanie Schwartz, Deputy Head of School and Senior Lecturer, UNSW Law, UNSW SydneyPat Anderson, Chairperson, Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary EducationLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1923882022-10-20T19:05:06Z2022-10-20T19:05:06ZWhy a First Nations Voice should come before Treaty<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/490585/original/file-20221019-23-m2unwb.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://fromtheheart.com.au/explore-the-uluru-statement/">fromtheheart.com.au</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Since the advent of colonisation, the absence of an effective process for conducting dialogues between the broader community and First Nations people has been a festering sore at the heart of Australian society. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://australian.museum/learn/first-nations/unsettled/recognising-invasions/terra-nullius/">notorious doctrine</a> of <em>terra nullius</em> not only led to the denial of the legitimate rights of First Nations people, but also ensured they could never be heard. This malign strategy has produced centuries of unspeakable suffering, sickness and death. Many Australians feel the time has come to start to heal the wound. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://fromtheheart.com.au/">Uluru Statement from the Heart</a> advocates for a process of dialogue to set us on a path towards a new way of living together. The statement was agreed to in 2017 by a convention of more than 250 First Nations people after an inclusive and rigorous process of regional dialogues. It proposes a First Nations Voice to Parliament to guide a passage both to a new “coming together” and to the clear articulation of the long-suppressed truth. </p>
<p>As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said when announcing the forthcoming referendum that seeks to incorporate these key proposals into the Australian Constitution, the statement is a generous offer to the entire Australian community. It does not harbour grudges and does not seek vengeance. It asks for a secure mechanism whereby the voices of First Nations people can at last be heard – by each other, by the parliament and by the wider Australian public. </p>
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<p>While support for the statement is widespread, some sections of the population – both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal – have dismissed the Voice as inconsequential, arguing the focus should instead be on establishing a “treaty”. They have argued a Voice will lead only to talk, whereas the real goal should be a law that guarantees the civil rights of First Nations peoples. </p>
<p>This argument fails to understand the potential power of the Voice. It can not only lay a foundation for a movement towards reconciliation and truth, but also act as a tool to craft novel solutions to the problems created by the unique circumstances of Australia’s history and culture. </p>
<p>In this connection, it is notable the statement does not actually use the term “treaty”. Instead, it proposes the distinctly Aboriginal concept of “Makarrata”, which refers to a process of learning from the past to create new ways of interacting with each other based on dialogue. Voice, Makarrata and Truth are inseparable, but Voice is the motor that drives all of them forward. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-power-of-yindyamarra-how-we-can-bring-respect-to-australian-democracy-192164">The power of yindyamarra: how we can bring respect to Australian democracy</a>
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<p>Establishing the Voice will lead to immediate, important outcomes. It will set the scene for addressing the centuries of injustice. It will create an effective process to address the intergenerational disadvantage many communities suffer. It will help overcome the historical exclusion of First Nations people from public forums. And crucially, it will offer an important symbolic gesture of acknowledgement and recognition that the days of <em>vox nullius</em> (“voicelessness”), the primary intention and consequence of <em>terra nullius</em>, are at last over. </p>
<p>It is, of course, unlikely that all First Nations people will speak with one voice – indeed, that would be undesirable. However, creation of a secure channel of communication will open up new ways for all members of the Australian community to negotiate their differences and discover novel solutions to our common challenges.</p>
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<span class="caption">Voice to Parliament offers Australian politics a powerful tool of negotiation and solution-finding.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Lukas Coch/AAP</span></span>
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<p>First Nations people will therefore not be the only ones to gain from the Voice. A vibrant, living platform for vigorous dialogue that addresses fundamental political issues will also benefit the wider society. It will help revive the ailing public sphere in Australia, restoring trust in institutions that have been degraded and depleted as a result of a deeply-established focus on personal ambition, vested interests and loss of shared ethical vision. </p>
<p>While some form of treaty will undoubtedly remain an important goal, the joint concepts of Voice, Makarrata and Truth are deeper, and more complex and enduring. </p>
<p>On its own, a treaty would operate only as an element within the system of colonially-derived law. This means it would utilise concepts within a system of thought that few would argue has served our country well in relation to the treatment of First Nations people, let alone of refugees and other vulnerable minorities. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-defeat-of-the-voice-would-be-a-body-blow-for-achieving-a-republic-190747">Grattan on Friday: Defeat of the Voice would be a body blow for achieving a republic</a>
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<p>The statement provides an approach to a consensus process that goes much further than this. Drawing on the creative resources of dialogue so fundamental to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, it will establish a framework that allows us to move forward to create new ethical bonds and fresh communal relationships that reactivate trust, reinvigorate public, cooperative action and support the resolution of conflicts through peaceful dialogue. </p>
<p>As we move towards the referendum, it is important for us to think carefully about the vision we wish to hold for Australia. About whether we are, collectively, ready to accept the invitation offered in the Uluru statement.</p>
<p>We have to decide whether we are ready to break the silence of our shared histories and take up the challenge to talk with each other, openly, frankly and with respect.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/192388/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Pat Anderson is co-convener of the Uluru Statement and is a member of the Referendum Working Group.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul Komesaroff does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Some Australians have dismissed a Voice to Parliament as inconsequential. That argument is mistaken.Pat Anderson, Chairperson, Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary EducationPaul Komesaroff, Professor of Medicine, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1879202022-08-23T05:12:57Z2022-08-23T05:12:57Z‘You can’t just show up and start asking questions’: why researchers need to understand the importance of yarning for First Nations<p>It’s essential for non-Aboriginal researchers to establish relationships with First Nations people when conducting research in their communities. </p>
<p>Past research practices have left a legacy of mistrust towards non-Indigenous researchers among many First Nations people. This is because research has been steeped in colonial practices, including viewing research as something done <em>to</em> Indigenous peoples without them having a say in how they are represented.</p>
<p>First Nations people and communities have had data about them collected with little or no input into the processes or questions asked. Even now, standard questions used for data collection do not always acknowledge that First Nations ways of living may be <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/mandated-areas1/data-and-indicators.html">different</a> from the rest of the population.</p>
<p>This includes things like the effects of intergenerational trauma, the fact First Nations family systems often involve more people than are blood related, and different cultural needs within health services. </p>
<p>This is where research practices such as “yarning” can offer an opportunity to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23980668/#:%7E:text=This%20project%20found%20that%20yarning,indigenous%20women%20from%20other%20countries">establish relationships</a> with these communities. </p>
<p>Once researchers establish a connection with people from the place they’re wishing to conduct their research, a mutual and inclusive relationship can be forged. This is essential to ensuring First Nations research participants are included in research, and not seen as research subjects. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.cdu.edu.au/sites/default/files/the-northern-institute/cdu_ni_learners_journal_number_22_hr_print_v2.pdf#page=1">Being able to build a relationship is vital</a> to ensuring the lives of First Nations people are accurately portrayed and recorded, participants are not taken advantage of, and communities can benefit from the research.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/establishing-a-voice-to-parliament-could-be-an-opportunity-for-indigenous-nation-building-heres-what-that-means-187534">Establishing a Voice to Parliament could be an opportunity for Indigenous Nation Building. Here's what that means</a>
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<h2>A history of research ‘on’ instead of research ‘with’</h2>
<p>Since colonisation, Indigenous people have had negative experiences of Western research. Through fields such as anthropology, First Nations peoples were observed without permission, and had <a href="https://www.utas.edu.au/about/news-and-stories/articles/2018/775-righting-the-wrongs-of-the-past">remains stolen</a>.</p>
<p>Because non-Aboriginal researchers lack significant knowledge about First Nations people, their cultures and societies have often been judged by the degree they <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-015-2052-3">conform</a> to Western customs and norms. As a result, misconceptions have followed, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have received very <a href="https://aiatsis.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-10/aiatsis-code-ethics.pdf">little benefit</a> from the research conducted about them.</p>
<p>However in the past two decades, research has been undergoing a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2020.1713722">significant transformation</a>. This is through incorporating First Nations practices such as yarning into the way research is conducted, providing additional insight into First Nations ways of being, doing and knowing. </p>
<p>Not only does yarning have the power to decolonise Eurocentric research practice, but it can also contribute to non-Indigenous researchers gaining a <a href="https://doi.org/10.18793/LCJ2017.22.01">better understanding</a> of Indigenous peoples and their communities.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/shifting-seasons-using-indigenous-knowledge-and-western-science-to-help-address-climate-change-impacts-183229">Shifting seasons: using Indigenous knowledge and western science to help address climate change impacts</a>
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<h2>What is yarning?</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.lls.nsw.gov.au/regions/murray/articles,-plans-and-publications/nrm-news-november-2020/the-importance-of-yarning">Yarning</a> is a tradition practised for thousands of years by many First Nations people in Australia. It is an integral part of Indigenous ways of learning and sharing. </p>
<p>It is usually undertaken by Aboriginal people coming together informally to unwind or in more formal ways such as discussing community or cultural matters. Storytelling is an important part of yarning that allows for reflection on recent or past histories and lived experiences and sharing knowledge.</p>
<p>Researchers can take part in “yarning” by talking to First Nations people about where each of them is from, people they know in common, and their connection to the place on which they meet, just to give a few examples.</p>
<h2>Relationships are important in research</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.cdu.edu.au/sites/default/files/the-northern-institute/cdu_ni_learners_journal_number_22_hr_print_v2.pdf#page=12">We have explored</a> relationships between researchers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants, and have found building trust is essential, but can be difficult.</p>
<p>For example, we found when a young non-Indigenous teacher started work in an Aboriginal community it took her roughly a year before the Aboriginal community decided she was ready to know about their land and culture. According to the teacher, the time proved she was “serious” about being the children’s teacher.</p>
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<p>Researchers in First Nations communities need to make connections through sharing dialogues and lived experiences, mutual investment and building trust and credibility. This can be done by taking trips out to the bush and demonstrating commitment to the communities they wish to learn about. </p>
<p>Establishing relationships with the community like this also allows researchers to become acquainted with non-verbal communication such as body language and gestures fundamental to how some Aboriginal people interact.</p>
<p>Ideally these relationships should extend beyond local Aboriginal communities to relevant Aboriginal service providers, educators, practitioners, policymakers, academics and even park rangers. This will ensure additional background information, cultural contexts, and by extension, more robust research. </p>
<p>Researchers need to ask themselves how the research they are undertaking could have useful outcomes for communities, not just academia. This reciprocity can potentially address mistrust with some First Nations people.</p>
<p>It’s important researchers undertake culturally appropriate research that gives back to communities. Through establishing relationships and taking the time to listen to these communities, this will better ensure research undertaken is safe, ethical and useful for them too.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/187920/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robyn Ober receives funding from Australian Research Council</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rhonda Oliver receives funding from Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sender Dovchin receives funding from Australian Research Council. </span></em></p>First Nations communities have experienced data being collected by researchers unethically. Better practices and relationships with communities can happen through ways of sharing such as yarning.Robyn Ober, IRC Fellow, Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary EducationRhonda Oliver, Research Professor, Curtin UniversitySender Dovchin, Associate Professor and the Director of Research, Curtin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1717242022-03-28T19:14:29Z2022-03-28T19:14:29ZIndigenous peoples across the globe are uniquely equipped to deal with the climate crisis – so why are we being left out of these conversations?<p>The urgency of tackling climate change is even greater for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and other First Nation peoples across the globe. First Nations people will be disproportionately affected and are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/aug/14/here-is-why-we-are-taking-the-australian-government-to-the-un-over-its-inaction-on-climate-change">already experiencing</a> existential threats from climate change. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2022/03/01/heartbreaking-flooding-inundates-cuts-northern-nsw-aboriginal-communities">unfolding disaster</a> in the Northern Rivers regions of New South Wales is no exception, with Aboriginal communities completely inundated or cut off from essential supplies.</p>
<p>Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have protected Country for millennia and have survived dramatic climatic shifts. We are intimately connected to Country, and our knowledge and cultural practices hold solutions to the climate crisis. Despite this, we continue to be excluded from leadership roles in climate solution discussions, such as the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-australian-government-must-listen-to-torres-strait-leaders-on-climate-change-171384">Why the Australian government must listen to Torres Strait leaders on climate change</a>
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<p>This continued exclusion is why investigation of the impacts of climate change on First Nations people is needed. </p>
<p>In October last year, the <a href="https://www.lowitja.org.au">Lowitja Institute</a>, in partnership with the <a href="https://www.nhlf.org.au">Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander National Health Leadership Forum</a> and the <a href="https://www.caha.org.au">Climate and Health Alliance</a>, brought together researchers, community members, young people and advocates from across the country at a round-table discussion. </p>
<p>Together, they put together the findings for the Discussion Paper <a href="https://www.lowitja.org.au/page/services/resources/Cultural-and-social-determinants/climate-health/climate-change-and-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-health">Climate change and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ipcc-reports-still-exclude-indigenous-voices-come-join-us-at-our-sacred-fires-to-find-answers-to-climate-change-178045">IPCC reports still exclude Indigenous voices. Come join us at our sacred fires to find answers to climate change</a>
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<h2>How climate change impacts Indigenous peoples</h2>
<p>As the paper tells us, climate change threatens our social and cultural determinants of health, including access to Country, traditional foods, safe water, appropriate housing and health services.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2542519621000280?via%3Dihub">Aboriginal health services</a> are already struggling to operate in extreme weather, with increasing demands and a reduced workforce. All these forces combine to exacerbate already unacceptable levels of ill-health within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations and compound the historical and contemporary injustices of colonisation.</p>
<p>During the round table, we heard powerful and moving stories from communities on the front line of climate change.</p>
<p>Norman Frank Jupurrurla, a community leader from Tennant Creek, spoke of sacred waterholes drying up, ancient shade trees dying, temperatures rising, inadequate housing, power going out and spoiled essential food and medicines.</p>
<p>Vanessa Napaltjarri Davis, a Warlpiri/Northern Arrente woman and Senior Researcher at <a href="https://www.tangentyere.org.au">Tangentyere Council</a> in Mparntwe/Alice Springs, spoke of changes to the availability of bush foods and medicines – essential to our health and well-being – due to changing temperatures and seasons. </p>
<p>For example, as Norman Frank Jupurrurla wrote:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>…now the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jpc.15740">country is burning</a>, getting destroyed, because of climate change. Already, I cannot see sand goannas any more.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples hold a deep and painful knowledge of the role dominant culture, racism and colonial power dynamics play within climate change. Although there have been many suggested solutions to climate change, access to these solutions is not equally or equitably available across Australia. </p>
<p>Norman Frank Jupurrurla demonstrated this when he shared the almost impossibly drawn-out process he has completed to become the first person to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/indigenous-communities-look-to-solar-to-end-energy-poverty/13632706">install solar panels</a> on public housing in Tennant Creek, Northern Territory. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-climate-change-activists-can-learn-from-first-nations-campaigns-against-the-fossil-fuel-industry-165869">What climate change activists can learn from First Nations campaigns against the fossil fuel industry</a>
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<h2>Indigenous peoples’ voices excluded from climate change conversations</h2>
<p>Colonisation has ignored Indigenous ways of knowing, doing and being, right down to the weather. Colonisers insisted we live according to just four seasons, instead of the <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/iwk/calendars/nyoongar.shtml">many seasons</a> our people knew and respected. </p>
<p>This experience of marginalisation continues today where we have not been sufficiently included in national and international conversations about climate change, including being pushed to the sidelines at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/02/cop26-indigenous-activists-climate-crisis">COP26</a>. </p>
<p>The IPCC acknowledged this globally in its <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_Chapter_01.pdf">report last year</a>. The report states that data and most reporting on climate change do not include <a href="https://theconversation.com/ipcc-reports-still-exclude-indigenous-voices-come-join-us-at-our-sacred-fires-to-find-answers-to-climate-change-178045">Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander</a> or local knowledge in the assessment findings. </p>
<p>The IPCC’s most recent report looks to recognise this omission and focuses specifically on the importance of our role and knowledge in addressing the climate crisis and the <a href="https://www.croakey.org/new-report-puts-a-focus-on-indigenous-knowledge-and-climate-justice">need for climate justice</a>. </p>
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<em>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-need-to-design-housing-for-indigenous-communities-that-can-withstand-the-impacts-of-climate-change-171203">We need to design housing for Indigenous communities that can withstand the impacts of climate change</a>
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<p>The calls from our work are clear. We must elevate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices within climate change action and centre Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as leaders in protecting Country. In the words of <a href="https://www.lowitja.org.au/page/services/resources/Cultural-and-social-determinants/climate-health/climate-change-and-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-health">Seed Mob</a>, “We cannot have climate justice without First Nations justice.” </p>
<p>In seeking solutions, we must consider how colonial ideologies and practices around climate change can impact on our peoples. As Rhys Jones wrote, “It is not possible to understand and address <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1757975919829713">climate-related health impacts</a> for Indigenous peoples without examining this broader context of colonial oppression, marginalisation and dispossession.”</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="People hold the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags while protesting." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432804/original/file-20211119-27-h5r442.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432804/original/file-20211119-27-h5r442.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432804/original/file-20211119-27-h5r442.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432804/original/file-20211119-27-h5r442.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432804/original/file-20211119-27-h5r442.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432804/original/file-20211119-27-h5r442.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432804/original/file-20211119-27-h5r442.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Student climate protest in Melbourne.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/melbourne-victoria-australia-may-21-2021-1978123466">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>The <a href="https://ulurustatement.org/the-statement">Uluru Statement from the Heart</a>, a gift to the Australian People, provides the road map for action:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>We must correct power asymmetries and establish co-governance arrangements and become strong advocates of, not only our interests, but our capabilities to tackle climate change.</p></li>
<li><p>We must restore access to basic rights that will lay the groundwork for action that includes appropriate community participation/decision-making and incorporates cultural, environmental and sustainable design.</p></li>
<li><p>We must weave our knowledges and strengthen partnerships to ensure that our collective wisdom and knowledge as Australia’s First Nations is integrated into climate adaptation and mitigation planning, directly benefitting the whole nation.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Indigenous people know about this continent; we’ve looked after it for millennia.</p>
<p>The Uluru Statement from the Heart gives the opportunity to restore that ancient power – for the benefit of us all and the survival of the planet.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/171724/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Pat Anderson receives funding from the Lowitja Institute, Batchelor Institute, Remote Area Health Corps, and UNSW-ILC (Uluru Statement from the Heart)</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Veronica Matthews receives funding from the NHMRC and the ARC. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Janine Mohamed does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The urgency of tackling climate change is even higher for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and other First Nation peoples across the globe. They need to be part of the solution.Janine Mohamed, Distinguished Fellow and CEO, The Lowitja Institute Pat Anderson, Chairperson, Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary EducationVeronica Matthews, Senior Research Fellow, The University Centre for Rural Health, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1601682021-06-02T00:02:27Z2021-06-02T00:02:27ZCOVID-19 restrictions have left many Stolen Generations survivors more isolated without adequate support<p>Research undertaken by <a href="https://healingfoundation.org.au/">The Healing Foundation</a> has revealed that public health restrictions introduced to contain the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia have had a significant impact on some Stolen Generations survivors, retriggering trauma among already vulnerable community members.</p>
<p><a href="https://healingfoundation.org.au/app/uploads/2021/04/HF_Impacts_of_COVID-19_on_Stolen_Generations_Survivors_Report_Apr2021_V5.pdf">The Healing Foundation’s report</a> outlines how the measures aimed at protecting Stolen Generations survivors instead had a devastating negative effect on their physical and mental health and wellbeing. This research presents input from 60 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders and Stolen Generations survivors.</p>
<p>The report provides data showing significant effects on survivors and their loved ones, including a heightened sense of vulnerability and increased disconnection from family, community, and Country. The report also found that 20% of Stolen Generation survivor respondents said they had no support during COVID-19, while only 58% reported having some support.</p>
<p>While it can be argued Australia’s response to the pandemic was largely successful when compared to other parts of the world, there are key lessons to be learned to prepare for future pandemics, especially for those most vulnerable in the community. </p>
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<em>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/thirteen-years-after-sorry-too-many-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-children-are-still-being-removed-from-their-homes-159360">Thirteen years after 'Sorry', too many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are still being removed from their homes</a>
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<h2>How restrictions impacted communities</h2>
<p>The Healing Foundation is a national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation that partners with communities to heal the trauma caused by the widespread and deliberate disruption of peoples, cultures, and languages over 230 years. This includes specific actions like the forced removal of children from their families.</p>
<p>Work done by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group on COVID-19 ensured that infection rates were very low in First Nations populations. </p>
<p>Only <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2020/04/impact-of-covid-19-in-australia-ensuring-the-health-system-can-respond-summary-report.pdf">minor outbreaks in Aboriginal communities were recorded in Australia</a>, and they were quickly contained. But the COVID-19 restrictions disrupted many cultural, relational, and collective practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, which included collective healing activities.</p>
<p>Physical distancing put a hold on celebrations and ceremonies, including important and traditional family and cultural occasions like births and funerals.</p>
<p>Lockdowns meant survivors were disconnected from family for <a href="https://www.supportingcarers.snaicc.org.au/connecting-to-culture/sorry-business/">Sorry Business</a> and attending community gatherings like NAIDOC Week. Events such as <a href="https://www.reconciliation.org.au/national-sorry-day-2020/">the Apology anniversary</a> were cancelled, keeping people away from marking important cultural dates. </p>
<h2>Increased isolation and loneliness</h2>
<p>The devastating combination of isolation, loneliness, distance from family, and tight public health directions brought difficult memories back for some survivors of the Stolen Generations, retriggering their trauma.</p>
<p>Survivors highlighted the following findings across the 23 social and emotional wellbeing indicators that were surveyed:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>The vast majority said they had a significantly increased sense of isolation (more than 90% of respondents) and loneliness (more than 80%). A majority also reported having too much time on their own (65%) and feeling trapped in their own thoughts (more than 70%).</p></li>
<li><p>More than 90% reported feeling disconnected from family, community, and culture, while 77% felt disconnected from Country. This is concerning given the degree to which connection to family, community, culture, and Country enhances health and wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, especially for Stolen Generations survivors and descendants.</p></li>
<li><p>Two-thirds of respondents reported a decline in their physical health and a decreased ability to cope with stress during COVID-19, while 75% reported a decline in their mental health and wellbeing.</p></li>
<li><p>Importantly, 66% of respondents said the degree to which they felt safe was impacted by COVID-19, and more than 75% were worried about not being able to get places. Half of respondents said they were worried about not being able to get to a doctor/hospital and/or access the services they require.</p></li>
<li><p>And three-quarters experienced an increase in family responsibilities and 70% an increase in cultural responsibilities. Alongside this, more than 90% of respondents experienced stress being placed on important relationships.</p></li>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/its-time-for-australia-to-drop-its-phased-approach-to-the-vaccine-rollout-161584">It's time for Australia to drop its phased approach to the vaccine rollout</a>
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<h2>How governments can do better</h2>
<p>This research undertaken by the Marumali Program on behalf of The Healing Foundation should assist governments and the broader public health sector to plan for future pandemics and build on Australia’s world-leading response.</p>
<p>It has also raised some important questions, such as how can we use technology and social media to not only communicate important public health messages but also feelings of isolation? Or how can Stolen Generations survivors use technology to connect with family, community, culture, and Country?</p>
<p>Technology is just one area for consideration. But what happens when future restrictions have a negative impact on a survivor’s healing journey? And what strategies or policies can help to support such unavoidable effects?</p>
<p>Researchers Shaan Peeters and Dr John Prince hope the study will lead governments to undertake further analysis to assess the needs, risks, and vulnerabilities of Stolen Generations survivors and their descendants into the future. </p>
<p>Stolen Generations survivors have long told us what they need to heal. Now, we need to understand what they require as Australia emerges from the pandemic and finds its way to a new normal.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/160168/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Professor Steven Larkin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>In a survey of Stolen Generation survivors, two-thirds reported a decline in their physical health as a result of COVID restrictions, while 75% reported a decline in their mental health and wellbeing.Professor Steven Larkin, Chief Executive Officer, Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary EducationLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.