Australian Indigenous People

Question: Discuss about the Australian Indigenous People. Answer: Introduction: The argument of Peter Sutton (2001, 13) that the problem of the Aboriginal People arises from a mix of complex factors that are ancient cultural and social and various external forces has been rightly argued. If we observe the history of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander there disadvantage began with them being disposed of their land and then being displaced. The losses of their autonomy, racial discrimination, and povertys intergenerational effects have further fuelled their disadvantages (Aboriginal economy society: Australia at the threshold of colonisation, 2005). There are more often than not various prejudices that have been faced by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people when they try to rent the home, get services in banks and shops, find a job and do the most common things which every other Australian takes for granted. There are casual relationships that exist with each disadvantage that interrelates to another disadvantage. For example, without their bei ng adequate facilities for studying at home, even with the encouragement from parents, learning would not be an easy task. Education similarly would be difficult for children who are suffering from middle ear troubles or a hearing loss or are malnourished (Macoun, 2011). Health is affected due to there being poor sanitation and housing that is not appropriate. There is often tertiary education which is required for progression to middles and senior positions. Being unemployed and poor lower statistically the self-esteem and increases death, illness and the likelihood of their being imprisonment and arrest, just as poor health effects employability and limits achievement in education. There has been great suffering that the indigenous people have suffered in the past. It can well be stated that the problems that are faced by the Australian Indigenous people arise today from a complex combination together of the current which, which the time post-conquest, and external impact from factors that are historical, with there being a relevant number of pre-existing ancient, cultural and social factors (Austlii.edu.au, 2016). In Peter Sutton's article, the focus has in general been laid upon only violent conflicts however, these factors do trickle down to various disadvantages that are being faced by the indigenous people today (Sutton, 2001). There are various people for whom the proposition that the disadvantages to the Indigenous people have been caused by factors that are external only, such as colonization, is a fiction that continues to sustain. The defense for this sustaining fiction is that it is not possible for the masses to understand the subtlety that is there behind the truth and it is towards simplistic that they are more inclined towards (Austlii.edu.au, 2016). There has been on the contrary a silence relatively on the complexity of the casual factor, and there has been no acknowledgment of the same. In his 2001 academic paper Peter Suttons argument that the violence level and depravity require examining together the various complex factors as mentioned above. His argument is ended with shifts that are significant in the economy and culture of the Aboriginal people. Paul Toohey in his article Peter Sutton has been openly quoted and the differential treatment of the Aboriginal communities and the Aboriginal liberation politics wisdom (Ryan, 2010). The Aboriginal people in the 1960s asserted their right to freedom to vote, movement, accessing of social security at least the minimum level, consumption of alcohol and various other such freedoms. The achievement that resulted has helped close the gap that exists between the status of the Aboriginal as determined by the administrative and legislative action at both State and Commonwealth level on the one hand and citizenship rights on the other hand. This translated into practice as the discriminatory practices' removal by which the pa rticipation of the Aboriginal people were restricted in the white Australian's civic life (The Politics of Suffering: Indigenous Australia and the end of the liberal consensus, 2010). To take up on the point of Sutton on coming together of various factors that are cultural, there was no or little deep-seated recognition of a difference of values or culture during the liberation politics' mobilization. The distinct cultures and value of the Aboriginal Australia may be marketed by the white Australia in pursuit of national symbolism and gains economically, however, with respect to administrative and political policies, the values of the Aboriginal are considered to be common with that of all the Australians. The gains of the Aboriginal from politics of liberation include them being able to access the white citizenship, internal and institutional assimilationist of practices and policies, incorporatist models. In short being the opportunity to be in the white Australian's lifestyle. References Aboriginal economy society: Australia at the threshold of colonisation. (2005).Choice Reviews Online, 42(05), pp.42-2891-42-2891. Austlii.edu.au. (2016).Overcoming Disadvantage. [online] Available at: https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/orgs/car/overcoming_disadvantage/pg3.htm [Accessed 4 Aug. 2016]. Macoun, A. (2011). Aboriginality and the Northern Territory Intervention.Australian Journal of Political Science, 46(3), pp.519-534. Ryan, L. (2010). Rewriting Aboriginal history.History Australia, 7(3), pp.70.1-70.2. Sutton, P. (2001). The politics of suffering: Indigenous policy in Australia since the 1970s.Anthropological Forum, 11(2), pp.125-173. The Politics of Suffering: Indigenous Australia and the end of the liberal consensus. (2010).Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 34(5), pp.535-536.