Indigenous Population In Australia: History, Culture, And Challenges

Unique Learning Experience

Throughout my education, learning experiences have been very unique towards my awareness of Indigenous people in Australia. My personal vistas have been drastically influenced throughout my semester. The unit has widely aided in increasing my awareness of the indigenous population in the country, immoral battles in their past and cultural practices (Barnhardt, 2014).

The unit has completely opened new modes of understanding of the life of indigenous population different from what I used to comprehend there before. The controversy state covering indigenous population topic in the country has played a big role in growing my ambition towards the research on the topic. As a teacher and an educator, I found it interesting to know the background and history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. To clearly comprehend about these indigenous people I have acquired knowledge from lectures, tutorial activities, readings, and online material and activities (Altman and Fogarty, 2010).

From the research, the Australian aboriginal culture involves various practices and ceremonies centered on a belief in the Dreamtime. Veneration for the land and oral traditions are greatly emphasized by the indigenous population. From my studies, I have come to know how various practices have contributed to technology innovations. For example, the indigenous people’s music has led to the innovation of very unique instruments. Also, several styles of the indigenous art have developed in modern eras the watercolor painting of Albert Namatjira. Generally, aboriginal art is the most known and recognizable Australian art globally (Ford, 2013).

My response to this unit of indigenous people is completely different from what I had in my thoughts initially. My emotions and feelings have been triggered significantly throughout the duration I have been in my studies and research. From my comprehension what have mercifully touched me is coming to know horrific dimensions, indigenous kids are put through. Children are taken away from their families specifically because of their indigenous background and the mistreatment they went through activated my concerns toward bringing a remedy to the problem (Rigney, 2017).

Another activity that wholly triggered my feeling is the indigenous families lied to their children. The innocent children were cheated that they were sent off to gain education of which they were sent off to be slaves of wealthy Caucasian families (Agrawal, 2014). This made me feel as if I have been injected with false information concerning the history of the state I dwell in. generally, some of the dramatic activities that the children were exposed to completely triggered outrage as it proved that the children were not put in a humanist household and were limited to a better support system (Michie, 2014).

Australian Aboriginal Culture

Many other activities have given me an insight into the individual experiences the indigenous people went through. All crazy activities sounded serial to me to an extent that I could not grasp on to the reality that such horrific action was exposed to the Australian indigenous population.

Learning about the indigenous people in Australia made understand the great relationship which exists past and current livelihood. I came to realize that the current styles of life were an upgrade of indigenous livelihood. Also by fading the indigenous practices acted as a way of destroying the country origins and histories (Gidley et al, 2010). In my studies, I came to comprehend that there exist many indigenous practices to the current population.

By relating the indigenous mode of ruling and the current government there arise a number of similarities to an extent that the current government borrows much knowledge from the ancient governments in Australian aboriginal population (Moore et al 2013). The Australian government has invested deeply in working closely with indigenous leaders so as to strengthen the ruling action of the current government. In my own derivation, this satisfies the coexistence of valid relationship between the current ways of life and the indigenous way of life (Gidley et al, 2010).

There exist some relevant theories that have really facilitated to my understanding and critical reflection on the issue influencing the indigenous population.

Reasoning syllogistic, I came to comprehend that “indigenous way of life” was one day current way of life for that generation and the “current way of way of life” (the existing livelihood) will be in future become indigenous to the next generation. To allow valid transformation and transmission of good practices from generation to generation there must exist unity between the current people and indigenous population (Ryan, 2013).

Social reasoning theory can also be used in reflecting the indigenous population issues. In my own understanding from the studied knowledge about the factors affecting the indigenous people, creating social bonds will help in processing interpersonal cues which will act as a way of copying acceptable behaviors (Moore et al 2013).

Categorization is another theory which I can apply in indigenous issues reflection (Moore et al 2013).  The theory widely delivers reasoning in relation to culture and expertise surrounding the indigenous population.in my analyses, the introduction of such theory will end the some of the problematic practices those people are exposed to and allow the healthy exchange of cultural practices that favor the moral behavior of individuals (Moore et al 2013).  

Impact on My Responses

There exist a number of factors that define the impact on my responses. First, every human deserves the protection of his/her own rights provided they no longer contradicts other people ways of life (Ryan, 2013).  For example, in my studies, I came to understand the way the indigenous population is limited in its rights. The indigenous people face discrimination and culture threats which erodes protection of their rights. To an extreme condition I came to learn that their interests are ignored into national policies. Such practices facilitated to my initial response (feeling) concerning the indigenous issues (Moore et al 2013).  

Despite mistreatments toward the population I also came to know that the population contained some quality practices which can effectively help in development. For example, the indigenous people’s music has led to the innovation of very unique instruments. Such factor also contributed to the impact on my response (Barnhardt, 2014).

My studies on the indigenous population have developed unique and significant experience as a teacher. I have developed the quality of equality from learning the kind of mistreatment life the indigenous people’s children went through. It sounded animosity which made me understand the need of treating my students equally.

Another experience-quality that I have gained in my study, is the ability to develop a positive relationship among my future student (Barnhardt, 2014). As a teacher, I can comprehend the effect of the positive relationship .For example if every teacher deploys that experience in his/her work it will be a way of bonding the current and indigenous people.

Knowledge and caring is another experience factor that I have come to learn through my study about the indigenous population. As a teacher, I will spread information on the knowledge acquired to a way that it initiates togetherness among all the Australian people despite their political, cultural and social practices (Ryan, 2013).

To put the acquired knowledge into practice I will produce a book that reflects on the bonding factors between the indigenous and current population. The book specifically innovates on the need of unifying the existing group (Ryan, 2013).  With the government having launched the unifying programs my project of publishing the book will face minimal rejection. Also as a teacher, I will practically spread the message among my students.

References

Barnhardt, R. (2014). Creating a place for indigenous knowledge in education: The Alaska Native Knowledge Network. In Place-based education in the global age (pp. 137-158). Routledge.

Altman, J. C., & Fogarty, W. (2010). Indigenous Australians as’ No Gaps’ subjects: education and development in remote Indigenous Australia. Monash University Publishing.

Ford, M. (2013). Achievement gaps in Australia: What NAPLAN reveals about education inequality in Australia. Race Ethnicity and Education, 16(1), 80-102.

Rigney, L. I. (2017). Indigenist research and aboriginal Australia. In Indigenous Peoples’ Wisdom and Power (pp. 61-77). Routledge.

Agrawal, A. (2014). Indigenous and scientific knowledge: some critical comments. Antropologi Indonesia.

Michie, M. (2014). Introduction. In Working Cross-culturally(pp. 1-12). SensePublishers, Rotterdam.

Gidley, J. M., Hampson, G. P., Wheeler, L., & Bereded-Samuel, E. (2010). From access to success: An integrated approach to quality higher education informed by social inclusion theory and practice. Higher Education Policy, 23(1), 123-147.

Universities Australia. (2011). National best practice framework for Indigenous cultural competency in Australian universities. Canberra: Universities Australia.

Ryan, M. (2013). The pedagogical balancing act: Teaching reflection in higher education. Teaching in Higher Education, 18(2), 144-155.

Moore, C. M., Kasivisvanathan, V., Eggener, S., Emberton, M., Fütterer, J. J., Gill, I. S., … & Marks, L. S. (2013). Standards of reporting for MRI-targeted biopsy studies (START) of the prostate: recommendations from an International Working Group. European urology, 64(4), 544-552.