A history to overcome

land away from the Indigenous population and is currently holding it with five year leases. Because of this, as well as other factors, most do not own their own land or housing. Sixty three percent of Indigenous people rent compared to twenty seven percent of the rest of Australia’s population (Aboriginal Land). Even the people who do own their own property, it is most likely in remote desert areas of the country. Some Indigenous communities do not own their own land; and in some cases overcrowding can occur. This is just one of the factors that can lead to health problems. Recently the United Nations rated the quality of life of Aboriginal the second worst on the planet only ahead of natives from a few provinces in China (Aboriginal Health). This is obviously a major issue in the Indigenous culture. According to a study in 2004, sixty five percent of Indigenous Australians will obtain at least one long term health condition. They have three times the chance of being diagnosed with diabetes, and ten times the chance of getting kidney disease (Aboriginal Health). The life expectancy of Indigenous Australians is also significantly lower than that of the white population. More than ten years difference divides the life span of Indigenous and white in both men and women. The median age is also lower for Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders being around twenty ones years where non-indigenous sits at about thirty seven years (Aboriginal Health). These poor health conditions can be due to a number of external and internal factors. There is a large gap in the money spent on health care between native and non-native groups. Indigenous people also experience a number of social factors (discrimination), economic factors, environmental factors (poor housing conditions), and educational factors (HealthInfoNet). There is also alcohol and tobacco and misuse in a number of communities. These all put physical and psychological stress on the Indigenous population which leads to a rise in health problems.A third issue the Indigenous population is facing today is a decline in educational conditions. Sixty percent of Aboriginal children are behind non-aboriginal children by the time the reach year one (Education). They fall behind early because resources are limited. There are very few libraries, teachers, and even schools and only three percent of Indigenous students graduate with a college degree (Education). Many of the teaching materials in the school systems are in English. For most Aboriginal students, this is not their first language, maybe not even their second, and it can be difficult to learn. There are also very few Indigenous references or people in the material so the students have a hard time relating to what they are being taught. Another factor is some students have uneducated parents. Between 1910 and 1970, Native Welfare took Aboriginal children away from their parents (came to be known as the Stolen Generation). Trevor Parker a Punjima Aboriginal man from Western Australia recalls: “I went to school late, I think, because the old people were concerned about Native Welfare taking half caste kids away. They were hiding me in the bloody scrub, until they stopped taking these kids away” (Education).Many of the parents were not educated because they were too afraid to leave home and be taken away. Without the help and support of a parent, going through school can be difficult for many. Behaviour can also be misinterpreted between a white teacher and an indigenous student. This can be a platform for discrimination which will put the student at a serious disadvantage. Currently, Indigenous people of Australia are facing many setbacks in a country that is moving forward at a rapid rate. Some still believe that Australia barely recognizes the existence of Indigenous people. There is little to no Indigenous culture taught in schools. Not non-indigenous people do not know what has happened or what is happening in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The Northern Territory Intervention was also a major hit to communities for modern day standards. The government stepped in, regulating alcohol, kava, land and money without the support of Indigenous societies and with the suspension of the Racial Discrimination Act (World News Australia). However, the parts of the government have recognized past inequities and have taken steps to repair relationships with the Indigenous population. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics there was a tribute to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the “Awakenings” segment. In February of 2008 Kevin Rudd apologized to families and communities for the Stolen Generation (About Australia). Indigenous members, Neville Bonner and Aden Ridgeway, were elected to the Australian Parliament and voting was finally made compulsory for Indigenous people (About Australia). Lately reconciliation has been in the thoughts of many. Even with the steps the government and people of Australia have taken to right the wrongs that have occurred, Indigenous people still lie at the bottom of the totem pole in society. In order for them to rise, measures have to be taken to improve land, health and educational conditions. Various committees and motions have formed, such as the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy and the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, but they are fairly new (About Australia). Their situation is steadily improving, but a lot still needs to be done in order for the first people of Australia to feel a part of the country.