Ongoing issues in Australia involving Indigenous Peoples, with the national anthem, and child removal.

Ongoing Issues In Australia Involving Indigenous Peoples, With The National Anthem, And Child Removal. 

Australia has had many ongoing outrageous issues involving the Indigenous people. Ultimately they are being treated unfairly and without respect for their needs. For instance, to put yourself in their shoes, would you want your children to be taken from you, just because you are a certain culture? Assuming your answer is no, these are the types of issues that are going on in Australia right now. But if that were your child, wouldn't you want to fight for it? Well, everyone can throughout the world and individuals need to become more aware of all the issues that are happening in Australia to the Indigenous Peoples, so that they can be noticed and address. There are countless amounts of issues and problems in regards to the way the government is treating the Indigenous Peoples. Another being the national anthem. For many of the Indigenous Peoples, it comes across as offensive and hurtful. These are some of the issues that will be addressed in this post, and by the end of this reading, you will want to stand and fight with the Indigenous Peoples in Australia and help them get what they ultimately deserve.

Why Are The Indigenous Peoples Protesting?

To begin with, there were about 10 Indigenous Lacrosse players who protested during the national anthem, by remaining silent while the anthem was playing. This instantly grabbed the media's attention and formed a conversation on the topic. The players protested in the national anthem because they feel as though it does not represent, or have respect for the Indigenous history. The line in the song “Australians all let us rejoice for we are, Young and free”, they feel as though hides the history of the indigenous people. When the song was first being made the Indigenous people were known to be overlooked, or outsiders because that the song is misleading towards their culture making it very hard to enjoy it... “Find it difficult if not impossible to sing” - said Peter Vickery former Supreme Court Judge in Australia.  In other words, the song is bothersome in many ways, and people find it hardly possible to sing. 
Peter is acknowledging the fact that the lyrics in the song are inappropriate.

He realizes that people are affected by this song, himself included. He addresses the

the fact this song does not represent the whole country of Australia to the point that these people are hurt, the song does not represent them, resulting in the impossibility to sing it. The lyrics that are specifically hurtful to the Indigenous people are the line "we are young and free". In my opinion, if I was in their shoes I would be completely offended and hurt by the line. It is completely non-inclusive and does not represent the Indigenous peoples at all. I would be hurt because the Indigenous people get no recognition in the anthem as if they did not exist. If this happened in Canada, to myself or others I would most definitely be upset and want to take action. Therefore, we need to consider the facts and consider how the Indigenous Australians are feeling, we need to help in supporting them in this issue as you would want the same for yourself.

wouldn't you?

Lacrosse players protesting and remaining silent throughout the national anthem. I think it is outstanding that these men came together and took a stand on what they believe in. I believe that this shows a great amount of courage and that they are passionate about the topic. I think that would be very impactful to the country as well because it shows that young individuals have a voice and want to be heard.

Some Protesters Feel As Though Being A Well Known Athlete Will Have More Power And Push When It Comes To Protesting On Important Topics, Was That The Case In This Situation?

In this situation, I believe being an athlete gave these protesters a good opportunity to be heard. Without being an athlete another individual may not have an opportunity to share their opinion in front of so many people right away. I believe that is definitely an advantage, giving them the attention on the topic right away. 

This picture shows the lacrosse players protesting and remaining silent throughout the national anthem. I think

it is outstanding that these men came together and took a stand on what they believe in. I believe that this shows a great amount of courage and that they are passionate about the topic. I think that would be very impactful to the country as well because it shows that young individuals have a voice and want to be heard.

Australia Day.

Australia Day occurs on January 26th annually. Australia day is supposed to be the celebration of the country, and the coming together of everyone. This day is supposed to represent every Australian and their contribution. However for the Indigenous culture that is not the case, if anything this day resembles the opposite for the Indigenous Peoples.

Why Is It Negative For The Indigenous people?

Most Indigenous Peoples living in Australia know this day as Invasion Day. Australia day was

the day where the Indigenous Peoples lost their sovereign land rights, lost family members 

and aspects of their culture. Mansel believes that “they celebrate the coming of one rase at the expense of another”

In other words, Australia is celebrating this day, the taking down of another culture. 

This quote is presenting Australia in its true form. Australia Day is celebrating their taking over

of a culture, Australia Day is by no means an inclusive, or a day celebrating the whole country.

If anything it represents the opposite, diversity and anger. Australia day does not represent the

Indigenous People in any way, the first people on the land, this day plainly represents the attempt

to take over the Indigenous culture. so, if you were an Indigenous Australian would you celebrate Australia Day?

https://youtu.be/6XDhQluIry0

This video explains the impacts of Australia Day on the Indigenous Peoples explained further.

after watching this video I know I most definitely would not celebrate Australia Day. This video made me feel as though the Indigenous people deserve more. This video also taught me the harm of Australia Day

I feel that it leaves a great impact on myself and my feelings towards the day. I feel like the Indigenous peoples deserve their own day, to represent the first people on the land. I believe that since Australia day nowhere near represents the Indigenous people, it is a disgrace!

How Does This Connect To The National Anthem Protest?

This can connect because Australia Day shows the background information on the history of why the Indigenous People dislike the national anthem and do not feel connected with it. Australia Day represents the taking of Indigenous rights, then the national anthem is supposed to represent Australia as a whole country. The Indigenous people have been living with this feeling of hurt, and worthlessness from invasion day, that day changed their culture entirely. Therefore, the Indigenous people do not feel connected, or even the slightest bit fond of the anthem. It is non-inclusive and adverse. 

How Might The Indigenous People View This Issue As More Important Than The Other People Living In Australia?

They are most definitely going to view this issue as more important than other citizens because it directly affects the Indigenous people. When the national anthem was being made it is believed that they disregarded the Indigenous People into the song. Therefore, in today's society, the Indigenous people mainly dislike the song and are affected by it, whereas the other people in Australia do not understand how they view the song, or how it makes them feel. 

Deborah Cheetham.

Debroah cheetah is an Indigenous opera singer from the nation of yorta yorta people in Australia. Debroah was taken from her family when she was a baby. That is one main issue in the Yorta Yorta nations in New South Wales and Victoria, Australia where she grew up in.

The Yorta Yorta nation. 

They Yorta Yorta people are also known as Jotijota, they are Indigenous people, they live around Victoria and New South Wales, Australia. Many different clans make up this nation. 

This picture shows the Yorta Yorta nation on a map of Australia.

What Did She Do To Help?

The opera singer Deborah Cheetham, turned down an offer to sing the national anthem at the Australian football final game in 2015  "The song does not take into account the generations of indigenous life on this continent. It does not value that," she said in other words, the National Anthem does not support the Indigenous People, it does not acknowledge the history, and the position they are in this country and the world. In this quote she is explaining that the song does not represent everyone. They were the first people on this land, and the song does not respect that. This leaves a big impact on society that a well known women in the singing industry turned down the offer. This shows her courage, strength, and her ability to stand up for the Indigenous people. Deborah used her well known title, and fame and this opportunity to take a stand and support her beliefs, and many other Indigenous peoples.The stand that Deborah took shows that she wants change, and that she is concerned about these issues affecting the people.

https://youtu.be/Vf3km1prLY4

Deborah speaks on why she did not sing the national anthem. I believe this video gave me an idea of

how the People truly feel about the song. she says " I cant sing it anymore". However, I did feel happy after this video because Deborah shared her positive thoughts on Australians coming together to take a stand with her. I thought that was great and a positive step in the right direction. 

Lidia Thorpe And Her Cause.

Lidia Thorpe she is now the first Indigenous woman elected in parliament

She set up a program called grandmothers against child removals, and she is trying to take a stand in any way to stop this issue. She is very passionate about this issue, she set up her program in Victoria and it already has made the number of child removals decrease a lot. 

She says "I’ve heard stories from ex-child protection workers about children who

are placed with non-Aboriginal families and who are in great harm. They’ve being

completely disconnected from their Aboriginality and their community."

In other words this means, Lidia has come across many tragic stories displaying the severity and extreme conditions these children are in. By putting the children with non-Indigenous families it puts them at great risk, and distracts them from their culture so they eventually lose touch.

this quote is showing her compassion towards the Indigenous children, but it also shows her education on the issue, she understands the conditions are horrible for these children, and acknowledges that it needs to be fixed.

https://youtu.be/NQLiTcrIqjM

Lidia Thorpe speaks on her personal connection and thoughts towards invasion day. This video was very eye-opening to me. It made me feel great sympathy towards the Indigenous Peoples. After watching this video I feel very upset towards the facts, and Australia Day as a whole. Lidia explains how her great great great grandfather was affected by this, and how it still greatly impacts her life today. This is very upsetting, the fact that so many people will still be affected by Australia Day today, and many years to come. Imagine if you were in this situation? if your ancestor was affected by Invasion day, it would be heartbreaking, wouldn't it? So imagine all the Indigenous families that will forever be affected by this. That is why we need to take a stand on these issues, and give the Indegenous communities what they deserve, and have deserved for hundreds of years. 

Lidia Thorpe highly connects to Deborah Cheetah, as they are both Indigenous women trying to take a stand and fight for the Indigenous rights. As mentioned Deborah was a victim of child abduction, and Lidia has now started programs in Deborah's home town now to minimize and stop child abduction. These two people connect greatly, that Deborah's past experiences are now being looked at with the help of Lidia Thorpe's protection program. Both of these women talk specifically on different Indigenous issues, however they are still fighting for the Indigenous peoples, and are fighting for the issue of the Indigenous people being treated unfairly. 

Map of Australia showing the location of New South Wales, and Victoria.

How Does This Connect To Canada?

The issue of children being taken from their families at a young age now is ongoing in Australia, however I can connect this to an issue that happened a few years ago in Canada, the issue can be referred to as the sixties scoop. The sixties scoop was the huge removal “scooping” of Indigenous children from their families. Then they would be put up for adoption to a non-Indigenous family, this meant for the children to lose touch of their culture. It began in the 1951s, continuing all throughout the 60s. Through 1960 and the 1980s the government thought this was the best way to remove child poverty/welfare problems. An enormous range of children were affected in this time, approximately 20,000 children were taken and put up for adoption. This issue has huge impacts on the people involved. The victims will be left with emotional, and physiological problems. Social worker Raven Sinclar describes the feelings further ““tremendous obstacles to the development of a strong and healthy sense of identity for the transracial adoptee.”  In other words, this quote is presenting that the children that were put up for adoption had a more than tough time, and then had great challenges trying to find themselves, and having healthy mental health, because of the trauma.

In this quote when it says “tremendous obstacles” this can be physical, mental, or physiological complications. With the amount of trauma these children were put through this quote is describing that for them to develop who they are, it is going to be difficult and takes time. 

The sixties scoop has made the children Feel as though they do not fit in anywhere, not in the Indigenous community nor the other cultures. This past issue connects to Australia because child abduction is still present, and it is still happening as previously mentioned. 

That makes me feel upset, that we as a nation have not overcome these horrible issues like child abduction that began many years ago, and it is still present today. It is unacceptable. 

Is The Issue Politically Significant?

Yes this issue is significant because the impacts are long lasting, the emotional, and physiological impact of a child being taken will be extremely long lasting. Many many families and children are negatively affected as well. It directly affects the Indigenous peoples and their children. Also the issue of the national anthem is very significant, it is very emotional and/ or hurtful to many of the Indigenous people. 

What Are The Objectives And Results Of The Government By, Taking Indigenous Children From Their Families ?

Their objective is to remove the Indigenous culture from the child, they want them to grow up with no knowledge of their former culture. The government wanted to shape Indigenous children into a person who they viewed as “good”. The results of this were scarce. Children are now growing up and finding out later in life that they are Indigenous and that they have another family. This is doing more harm than good for the children because they are now developing mental health issues later in life, and the feeling that they do not belong. 

This picture shows the grandmother’s against child abductions. They are protesting after a child in the community was taken. This photo really impacted me, it made me sad because of the reason they are protesting. However, hopeful for them that we can get the the recognition they need.

How Might The Issue Get Better?

In 2015 Manitoba issued a formal apology to the victims. And then in 2017 in Ontario

A judge ruled that the federal government failed in its “duty of care” for the outrageous amount of Indigenous peoples that were taken from their families. 

With that being said, in this situation Canada recognized the problem after the fact and

issued an apology, Canada could have taken more steps into rebuilding the

Indigenous people’s trust, and providing more sympathy on our actions. However this

initially can be a next step for the country of Australia to consider. These issues are

ongoing in Australia right now. We need to make more and more people aware of these

issues so that we can provide support. We need to start conversations on the topics of

issues for instance, the priest during the national anthem, these are good first steps into getting the issues heard and media talking about it. Once more people are educated, and knowledgeable about the topics internationally there will be more help and support towards these issues. 

Why Should People Be Aware Of This?

People should become more aware of these problems, because they are becoming out of hand. We need to take a stand on these topics so that they do not progress worse to the point where we have no control. More people need to be aware of these issues because they are affecting the Indigenous Culture immensely and it is extremely unacceptable. The Indigenous peoples are just as human as the rest of the world and their rights should be treated as fairly as everyone else, and with the same amount of respect, in which in this moment they are not. They are being treated so poorly, and horribly and there needs to be an end to it. This is why more people should be aware of this, so there can be an end put to it. The more people understand the severity of these problems the more support on these issues we can obtain. 

Finally What Can We Do?

Acknowledging that the Indigenous people were the first people on our land expressing that opinion in any situation ( e.g conversation, or public speaking) this will get the proper impression of Indigenous people out there. It will get the initial conversation started about their culture, and will get people thinking about them. Include Indigenous peoples as a topic of discussion, if you are involved in a  debate or even simply a conversation and you happen to be taking about world issues, mention the Indigenous people. Begin to talk about them and the issues they face more, to spread awareness. Build public awareness in any way possible, this could be in school or a community project, any form of public interaction you can bring the attention of Indigenous people try to form recognition from the public, to educate as many people as possible. The biggest thing you can do to support the Indigenous people is

Educate yourself, and as many others as possible. Even by just telling a friend, and educating them on the issues that are ongoing, can help make a difference. We need to help them, and make a difference because in the end we are all human, aren't we?