Damon Mcknight
Australia has a history of failing its Indigenous people, who continue to face discrimination and human rights issues. Despite commitments to address First Nations disadvantage, inequalities persist, and the government has been criticised for failing to implement meaningful change. Aboriginal Australians face issues such as land rights, high incarceration rates, and lower socioeconomic outcomes. There is also ongoing institutional racism and resistance to recognising the rights of Indigenous people. With the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues bringing attention to these issues, there is pressure on the Australian government to take action and improve the situation for its Indigenous peoples.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Human rights issues | Removal of children from their mothers, high incarceration rates, violence against indigenous women, child sexual abuse |
| Racism in society and the media | Use of coded racism |
| Lack of political self-representation | --- |
| Land rights | Many indigenous communities were stripped of land custodianship during colonisation |
| Health equality | Targets are not being met |
| Life expectancy equality | Targets are not being met |
| Child mortality equality | Targets are not being met |
| Overrepresentation in the criminal justice system | --- |
| High unemployment | --- |
| Ongoing marginalisation and stigmatisation | --- |
| Inequality in access to education, employment, and income | --- |
| Imprisonment rates | --- |
| Child removals | --- |
| Community and family violence | --- |
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What You'll Learn
Institutional racism and violent history
Australia has a violent history with its Indigenous people, which has resulted in ongoing institutional racism. Aboriginal Australians have faced violent dispossession of their lands, enslavement, and removal of children from their mothers. The effects of this history are still felt today, with Indigenous people facing serious human rights issues, including high incarceration rates, inhumane treatment in prisons, and a lack of political representation.
The Australian government has repeatedly failed to address these issues and implement meaningful change. In 2018, Oxfam released a report outlining the Australian government's failure to achieve meaningful change for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The report made 10 recommendations, including changing the native title system to better recognise Indigenous land rights and reestablishing a national elected representative body for Indigenous peoples.
Despite some improvements, such as the Australian government's 2008 "Closing the Gap" commitment to address First Nations disadvantage, national statistics indicate that there is still a long way to go. For example, in 2017, the government came under pressure to add a target to lower the imprisonment rates of Indigenous people, as they were not meeting targets for health equality and reducing disparities in life expectancy.
Furthermore, Indigenous people in Australia continue to face marginalisation, stigmatisation, and structured inequalities that limit their access to education, employment, and income opportunities. The assimilation policy, a part of Australia's colonial past, continues to contribute to these political issues and inequalities.
Aboriginal Australian activist and human rights lawyer Hannah McGlade, who represents the Kurin Minang Noongar people, has spoken out about the ongoing institutional racism and violent history faced by Indigenous Australians. She has used UN mechanisms to advance the issue of violence against Indigenous women and the failure of the Australian government to allocate resources and develop relevant policies.
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Removal of children from mothers
The removal of Indigenous children from their mothers is a tragic and ongoing issue in Australia, with a long history dating back to the early 20th century. This practice has resulted in profound grief, suffering, and loss for Indigenous families and communities. The term “Stolen Generations” refers to the generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were forcibly removed from their families and communities across Australia.
From the early 1900s to the 1970s, official government policies and practices resulted in the forced separation of Indigenous children from their mothers. In some regions, it is estimated that between one in ten and one in three Indigenous children were taken. These children were often placed in institutional facilities run by religious or charitable organizations, fostered out, or adopted by non-Indigenous families. The assumption underlying these removals was that the full-blood tribal Aboriginal population was doomed to extinction, and that mixed-race children could be trained to work in white society and eventually be assimilated.
The Bringing Them Home report, published in 1997 by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, detailed the laws, policies, and practices that facilitated the removal of Indigenous children. It included case studies that challenged the claim that these removals were in the children's best interests. The report offered 54 recommendations to address the wrongs done to the Stolen Generations, including a call for an official apology and recognition of the harm caused.
Despite the national apology offered by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in 2008 and the expression of 'deep and sincere regret' by the Australian Government, the issue of child removal has persisted. Western Australia, in particular, has been criticized for its high rate of removing Aboriginal children from their mothers, especially in cases of domestic violence or inadequate housing. The child protection system in Western Australia has been described as focusing more on policing families than providing them with needed support.
Furthermore, the overrepresentation of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care and the inadequate funding allocated to family support programs have raised concerns. The intergenerational impact of these removals on the cultural, spiritual, and familial ties of Indigenous communities cannot be overstated. The trauma caused by these separations has been ongoing, with many families enduring multiple generations of child removals.
To address these issues, there have been calls for a drastic overhaul of Indigenous policies, including increasing funding for community-run Indigenous organizations and implementing recommendations from major reports on Indigenous affairs. The healing and reunion services offered through the national Link-Up program aim to support the Stolen Generations and their families in their journey towards reconciliation.
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Inhumane incarceration rates
Australia has a history of failing its Indigenous people, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, who continue to face discrimination and human rights issues. One of the most pressing issues is the inhumane incarceration rate of Indigenous Australians, which is symptomatic of the ongoing "institutional racism" in the country.
Indigenous Australians, particularly children and young people, are incarcerated at alarmingly high rates, and the conditions in which they are held are inhumane. The Australian government has been criticised by the United Nations (UN) for its failure to address Indigenous issues, including the high incarceration rates of Aboriginal people. This criticism highlights the government's lack of respect for its international commitments regarding Indigenous human rights.
The overrepresentation of Indigenous people within the criminal justice system is a significant concern. This is due in part to the structured inequalities that persist in Australia, where income, wealth, power, and status are distributed unequally, impacting the life opportunities available to Indigenous people. As a result, Indigenous people face higher unemployment rates, lower socioeconomic outcomes, and increased marginalisation and stigmatisation.
Additionally, the Australian government's historical and ongoing dispossession of Indigenous lands has resulted in the loss of cultural practices and a sense of community for many Indigenous people. This has contributed to the intergenerational trauma experienced by Indigenous communities, which further increases their vulnerability to the criminal justice system.
The Australian government has made some efforts to address these issues, such as the "Closing the Gap" strategy, which aims to reduce inequalities in health and life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. However, progress has been limited, and the government has faced criticism for not doing enough to implement meaningful change. For example, the government came under pressure in 2017 to add a target to lower the imprisonment rates of Indigenous people as part of the "Closing the Gap" initiative.
In 2023, Australia is set to hold a referendum to vote on whether to alter the Constitution to recognise the country's First Peoples by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament. This is a step towards reconciliation and giving Indigenous people a say in decision-making processes. However, there is still a long way to go to address the inhumane incarceration rates and other human rights issues faced by Indigenous Australians.
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Lack of political self-representation
The Australian government has long failed to uphold the rights of its Indigenous peoples, including Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders. One of the key ways in which this failure manifests is through the lack of political self-representation for Indigenous communities.
Indigenous Australians face complex political issues, including land rights, high incarceration rates, and marginalisation. They have been stripped of land custodianship and continue to face institutional racism and resistance to their rights being recognised. Despite making up a significant proportion of the prison population, Indigenous Australians are notably absent from positions of political power, where they could advocate for themselves and their communities.
In 2018, Oxfam released a report outlining 10 recommendations for improving the situation, including the re-establishment of a national elected representative body for Indigenous Australians. This report echoed the sentiments of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), which was established to address Indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health, and human rights.
The Australian government has largely ignored these calls for change, with Indigenous communities continuing to experience the negative consequences. In 2023, Australia committed to holding a referendum on whether to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. While this is a positive step, it is long overdue, and it remains to be seen what the outcome will be.
The lack of political self-representation for Indigenous Australians is a critical issue that needs to be addressed. Without it, other political challenges and barriers to engagement will persist, and the disadvantages experienced by Indigenous communities will continue.
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Inequality in health and life expectancy
The latest data reveals that Indigenous Australians continue to experience higher mortality rates and lower socioeconomic outcomes. Between 2015 and 2019, mortality rates for children up to four years old in Indigenous families were 2.1 times higher than those in non-Indigenous families. This disparity extends beyond health, as Indigenous communities also face challenges such as land rights issues, overrepresentation in the criminal justice system, high unemployment rates, and ongoing marginalization.
The Australian government's "Closing the Gap" strategy has led to some improvements, but the gap persists. Only 27% of First Nations adults lived in areas they recognized as their traditional homelands between 2018 and 2019. The government has faced pressure to address issues such as high imprisonment rates, child removals, and community and family violence, which disproportionately affect Indigenous communities.
The structured inequalities in income, wealth, power, and status distribution further exacerbate the situation. These inequalities influence life opportunities and access to education, employment, and income for Indigenous people. As a result, Indigenous Australians face social disadvantages from the beginning of their lives, leading to persistent inequalities throughout their lifetimes.
To address these inequalities, there is a need for reconciliation and reflection on the effects of historical assimilation policies. Additionally, community-driven initiatives and partnerships with Indigenous representatives are crucial for finding inclusive ways to represent a broader range of views and voices in decision-making processes that impact Indigenous communities.
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Frequently asked questions
Despite the Australian government's commitment to address First Nations disadvantage in Australia, known as "Closing the Gap", the country is still failing its indigenous people in several ways. This includes the removal of children from their mothers, the high incarceration rates of Aboriginal people, institutional racism, and the failure to implement recommendations from reports on Indigenous affairs.
The Closing the Gap initiative was launched in 2007 to address health equality and reduce disparities in life expectancy between First Nations people and non-Indigenous Australians. However, Australia is only on track to meet one of its seven Closing the Gap targets.
To address these failures, Australia needs to implement meaningful changes in all areas of Indigenous policy and interaction with the government. This includes changing the native title system, reestablishing a national elected representative body for Indigenous peoples, and changing the funding system to prioritize community-run Indigenous organizations. Additionally, addressing the effects of the assimilation policy and reconciliation is crucial to overcoming structured inequalities and improving life opportunities for Indigenous communities.
