ESPINOSA Alvaro

SIM Audrey/Academic English

AEf18

5. European colonisation has had a devastating effect on Indigenous culture in Australia. Do you agree?
European colonisation of Australia took place since the 1700s when this new land became part of
Britain. However, before the arrival of white people, there were native inhabitants who are known as
Indigenous Australians who form the group of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders. During this
period there was a significant impact on the Aboriginal population. There are people who believe that
Aboriginal Australians have achieved better outcomes in several aspects of their lifestyle since the European
settlement. However, Indigenous culture in Australia has been deeply affected due to the colonisation, since
they had suffered severe injustices. This essay will discuss some difficulties that Indigenous Australians had to
face including issues of health, stolen generations and language.

One of the most devastating effects that the European settlement caused to the indigenous
Australians has an implication with health issues. When white people arrived in the new land, Aboriginal
population suffered from new diseases, as a result, there was a disruption in their habits and lifestyle (Tourism
Australia 2014). As Nerelle (2012, p. 5) explains that the complexity of health for Indigenous Australians
encloses encompasses not only on the physical conditions, but also the social and spiritual conditions realms
and after the arrival of Europeans, this conception of health was relegated after the arrival of Europeans.
Senier & Barker (2013, p. 6) emphasises that the suppression of cultural practices like traditional medicine,
ceremony, and even language has been shown to have devastating effects on indigenous health and indigenous
bodies. This means that the Indigenous Australians had their own procedures and practices to relieve the
illnesses that they were used to. But after the arrival of white European settlers people, they were forced to
cease those practices. Despite the effort for having better treatments concerning to the healthcare, the
Aboriginal community is still suffering from health issues having troubles in health due to the indifference of
the politics about this topic (Special Broadcasting Services 2013). It is well known that when a community is
living in a insulated marginalised environment as the aboriginals did, they are not able to combat the unknown
diseases, therefore they are the perfect target to be affected by these diseases, additionally their own traditional
medicine and treatments were depreciated by the colonialists and did not work well on the new diseases
causing indirectly an interruption in their culture.

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SIM Audrey/Academic English

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Another relevant devastating effect in the Indigenous Australian culture has a close relationship with
the dark episode of the Australian history known as the Stolen Generations. This episode took place during
the last century and referred to the children forcibly separated from their families; being a clear example of
cultural genocide (Van Krieken 2004, p. 8). As the Department of Social Services (2013) states that this group
of children were raised into another culture different than their original, they were forced to adopt the
European culture producing a gap an irreversible loss to in the traditional aboriginal culture. One of the main
consequences of the policy resulting on from the Stolen Generations was that the Indigenous Australian
culture as was affected by reducing their traditional population was reduced. while the European settlement
increased and mixed with the Aborigines sexually and thus resulting in the creation of a half-caste problem
(Van Kreken 1999). It was considered a problem because this the half-caste population was not accepted
neither by the Aboriginal people nor the European Australians, . Additionally it weakened the traditional
culture. During 2008, the Australian Parliament and the Australian nation recognized the devastating effects
that this policy caused in the Aboriginal culture. The government apologized with the Indigenous Australians
for all the damage that the European settlement caused in the Indigenous Australians (Department of Social
Services 2009). The removal of children from their families is clearly an episode that marked a profound
suffering for Indigenous Australians in several aspects of their life since this generation was deprived of its
own culture and they were not be able to practice and transmit traditional ancient rituals, did not continue with
the transmission of the habits and customs.

The loss of the traditional Aboriginal languages is another critical negative effect produced by the
European colonisation. In fact the Aboriginals were forced to learn the customs and language of the Europeans
losing their cultural identity (Commonwealth of Australia 2005). As Walsh (1993) writes that before the
European settlement there were around 250 languages spoken by Indigenous Australians and different
dialects. It shows the richness and pride of their culture. Furthermore, the important role that the different
languages and dialects played in the Indigenous culture since each group had their own language and it was
used mainly to represent the idea of the Dreaming which is a representation of the world (Diprose 2006).
Walsh (1993) also points out that it is known that around 160 have been lost which represents a huge

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SIM Audrey/Academic English

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destruction of the aboriginal culture. The effects of colonisation impacted on Aboriginal languages
catastrophically and negatively forcing them to leave their languages losing part of their identity.

As in almost every topic issue, there are always discrepancies, and this topic is not the exception.
There are some people who consider that the European colonisation has brought beneficial outcomes for the
Indigenous Australians. As the Aboriginal people had a primitive lifestyle, some people, especially white
Australians think that the European settlement brought the civilization and all the advantages that it has such
as education, healthcare, work and more. Even though the colonisation may have had some positive aspects,
the negative aspects are far heavier creating an imbalance in the Indigenous Australian population. It can be
illustrated by the notable difference in life expectancy between Indigenous Australians and non-Indigenous
Australians which shows that for the Indigenous is lower than for the non-indigenous Australians (Australian
Health Ministers, cited in Commonwealth of Australia, 2005). As a result, it should not be recognized that the
European settlement has not brought beneficial results in the Indigenous Australian culture.

To sum up, the European colonisation have caused serious negative effects in the Indigenous
Australian culture. Some of these effects include health issues, effects of the Stolen Generations and the loss
of traditional languages. The effects provoked in assaults of their culture will never be repaired be irreparable.
but However it could be minimized and preserved with the government and white Australians have started
starting a new era by recognizing the damage and apologizing to the Indigenous community. It is a new
chapter which helps to reconcile the differences. However, even though the government has taken care about
of Indigenous Australian issues during the last years, there is still a high marked difference between the
Indigenous people and non-Indigenous people. The importance of the traditional culture is significant for this
nation and should be treated with respect, care and seriousness. diligence.

Word count: 1051

ESPINOSA Alvaro

SIM Audrey/Academic English

AEf18

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