WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.720 I'd like to introduce my old friend, Nairi Brown, 2 00:00:02.940 --> 00:00:06.360 who was one of the first Indigenous medical graduates in Australia 3 00:00:06.360 --> 00:00:08.200 from the University of Newcastle. 4 00:00:08.720 --> 00:00:11.300 And I've known her over the years. 5 00:00:11.640 --> 00:00:14.980 She's had more jobs than me, many more jobs than me, 6 00:00:15.060 --> 00:00:16.620 even though she's a bit younger, 7 00:00:17.720 --> 00:00:21.820 including working for the Australian Medical Association 8 00:00:21.820 --> 00:00:26.060 as president of the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association. 9 00:00:26.060 --> 00:00:29.160 And she was also assistant director 10 00:00:29.160 --> 00:00:32.480 of the Menzies School of Health Research in Darwin for many years. 11 00:00:32.740 --> 00:00:35.000 So she's moved around the country a little bit. 12 00:00:35.640 --> 00:00:40.300 At the moment, she is the co-director of the Posh Centre 13 00:00:40.300 --> 00:00:42.780 for Indigenous Health at the University of Sydney. 14 00:00:43.740 --> 00:00:47.720 And as well as combining all of those with a family 15 00:00:47.720 --> 00:00:55.820 and cultural ties up into the Yolngu area in Northern Territory, 16 00:00:58.100 --> 00:01:00.140 she's nearly finished a PhD. 17 00:01:00.420 --> 00:01:02.460 So Nairi's got a lot on the plate, 18 00:01:02.560 --> 00:01:05.540 as do nearly all of the Indigenous leaders here. 19 00:01:08.720 --> 00:01:12.720 We started out last night with a fairly robust exchange, 20 00:01:13.400 --> 00:01:15.860 and I hope we continue in that spirit today. 21 00:01:16.160 --> 00:01:19.080 After all, we are trying to push the limits a little bit here. 22 00:01:23.300 --> 00:01:24.460 Nairi, take it away. 23 00:01:24.600 --> 00:01:25.900 I'm not going to try and pronounce... 24 00:01:26.060 --> 00:01:26.140 Nairi, take it away. 25 00:01:26.140 --> 00:01:26.660 I'm not going to try and pronounce the Yolngu word 26 00:01:26.660 --> 00:01:29.220 for the title of today's talk. 27 00:01:29.500 --> 00:01:32.000 But it's really about working together in partnership, 28 00:01:32.220 --> 00:01:34.240 and I think there's been too little of that, 29 00:01:34.360 --> 00:01:37.580 and we've got to start doing things differently now. 30 00:01:37.860 --> 00:01:38.900 So thanks, Nairi. 31 00:01:40.320 --> 00:01:40.820 APPLAUSE 32 00:01:45.340 --> 00:01:46.960 Thank you for... 33 00:01:46.960 --> 00:01:49.860 I don't know about old friend, but certainly a long-time friend. 34 00:01:50.400 --> 00:01:51.260 Good afternoon. 35 00:01:51.320 --> 00:01:53.760 I'd like to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners 36 00:01:53.760 --> 00:01:55.080 of the land on which we gather. 37 00:01:55.220 --> 00:01:56.040 Without who... 38 00:01:56.060 --> 00:01:57.260 Who's sacrifice and generosity, 39 00:01:57.420 --> 00:02:00.720 we wouldn't be able to be here, live here, love here, 40 00:02:00.760 --> 00:02:02.620 raise our families or conduct our work. 41 00:02:04.160 --> 00:02:07.160 I bring respects from my father and my grandmother's country 42 00:02:07.160 --> 00:02:08.740 on the south coast of New South Wales, 43 00:02:08.920 --> 00:02:10.920 from the Dharawal and the Yuin peoples, 44 00:02:11.520 --> 00:02:13.380 and I bring those respects to the elders, 45 00:02:13.520 --> 00:02:16.040 to the communities here, to families and to each of you. 46 00:02:16.220 --> 00:02:18.180 And thanks for your interest this afternoon. 47 00:02:18.280 --> 00:02:19.760 I thought it might just be Robert and myself, 48 00:02:19.920 --> 00:02:21.960 because I had no title on the paper. 49 00:02:22.060 --> 00:02:24.820 So I love that you don't mind a surprise. 50 00:02:26.300 --> 00:02:27.580 My name's Nairi Brown. 51 00:02:27.740 --> 00:02:30.280 I'm an Aboriginal woman from the south coast of New South Wales. 52 00:02:30.580 --> 00:02:31.920 I'm a doctor by trade. 53 00:02:31.980 --> 00:02:33.820 I have a clinical background in acute care. 54 00:02:34.180 --> 00:02:37.640 But as Robert mentioned, I've also managed to goof off 55 00:02:37.640 --> 00:02:41.320 in a number of roles in policy, research and medical education. 56 00:02:42.180 --> 00:02:44.200 I'm currently director at Boolana, 57 00:02:44.420 --> 00:02:46.260 the Poach Centre for Indigenous Health, 58 00:02:46.360 --> 00:02:49.500 which is a newly established entity at the University of Sydney 59 00:02:49.500 --> 00:02:52.300 looking at Aboriginal health and access to services. 60 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:55.340 Now, I've chosen a particular Yolngu phrase 61 00:02:55.340 --> 00:02:57.100 for the presentation this afternoon, 62 00:02:57.300 --> 00:03:00.820 and roughly translated, and for a number of reasons. 63 00:03:01.700 --> 00:03:02.080 And that is, 64 00:03:04.840 --> 00:03:08.240 which basically means working together with respect. 65 00:03:08.640 --> 00:03:10.800 And Robin's title for this afternoon was 66 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:12.020 Doing It The Aboriginal Way, 67 00:03:12.140 --> 00:03:14.980 but we can think about that perhaps this afternoon, 68 00:03:15.020 --> 00:03:15.820 perhaps another time. 69 00:03:16.420 --> 00:03:18.800 The thematic approach to this year's festival 70 00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:19.820 is pushing the limits, 71 00:03:19.840 --> 00:03:23.680 and we were asked to consider where do big ideas come from, 72 00:03:23.760 --> 00:03:24.780 how do we drive change, 73 00:03:26.280 --> 00:03:27.440 and what is enough. 74 00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:30.940 In Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, 75 00:03:31.280 --> 00:03:32.940 drip feeding incremental advancement 76 00:03:32.940 --> 00:03:35.860 will not overcome widening disparities, 77 00:03:36.140 --> 00:03:38.120 which have basically been two centuries in the making. 78 00:03:38.520 --> 00:03:41.260 So we need to think big, we need to think differently, 79 00:03:41.320 --> 00:03:42.980 and importantly, we need to act. 80 00:03:44.840 --> 00:03:46.860 As individuals, as professionals, 81 00:03:47.000 --> 00:03:49.400 in our family groups and in our communities, 82 00:03:50.200 --> 00:03:51.620 and I want everyone to contemplate 83 00:03:51.620 --> 00:03:54.740 what an Indigenous perspective or an Indigenous way 84 00:03:54.740 --> 00:03:55.320 or approach to this year's festival will be. 85 00:03:55.320 --> 00:03:55.960 What an Indigenous perspective or approach might be 86 00:03:55.960 --> 00:03:58.380 to driving change and creating reform. 87 00:03:59.420 --> 00:04:01.340 On a personal note, I have the pleasure, 88 00:04:02.020 --> 00:04:02.880 the honour and the privilege 89 00:04:02.880 --> 00:04:05.460 of working with Yolngu women in Arnhem Land, 90 00:04:05.660 --> 00:04:07.680 and they have embraced my family and I. 91 00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:10.120 They share their homes and their wisdom. 92 00:04:10.360 --> 00:04:11.740 They love my children, 93 00:04:11.940 --> 00:04:14.100 and they educate us to the notion 94 00:04:14.100 --> 00:04:15.560 as to what it truly is 95 00:04:15.560 --> 00:04:18.580 to be part of an extended family and a community. 96 00:04:19.220 --> 00:04:21.220 So today I'll just touch on a few issues, 97 00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:24.400 just to prompt your thought processes 98 00:04:24.400 --> 00:04:25.300 and maybe get some of the people involved. 99 00:04:25.300 --> 00:04:26.820 I'll have some of the discussion going later in the afternoon. 100 00:04:27.580 --> 00:04:31.480 And I'll ask you to take into account 101 00:04:31.480 --> 00:04:34.340 Indigenous perspectives and world views, 102 00:04:34.680 --> 00:04:38.120 the core relevance and importance of Indigenous leadership, 103 00:04:38.600 --> 00:04:41.300 ownership, acknowledgement and respect. 104 00:04:41.860 --> 00:04:43.880 I'll talk a little about human rights, 105 00:04:44.080 --> 00:04:46.140 social justice and social inclusion. 106 00:04:48.120 --> 00:04:51.640 And perhaps my opinion on how we might better enshrine 107 00:04:51.640 --> 00:04:55.120 protections for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples 108 00:04:55.120 --> 00:04:55.280 and their families. 109 00:04:55.300 --> 00:04:55.420 I'll also talk a little about the role 110 00:04:55.420 --> 00:04:56.200 and other vulnerable groups 111 00:04:56.200 --> 00:04:58.700 into the very fabric of our social order 112 00:04:58.700 --> 00:04:59.660 and our social systems. 113 00:05:00.480 --> 00:05:03.140 I'm sure we're all well aware of the current status 114 00:05:03.140 --> 00:05:05.540 of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes. 115 00:05:05.760 --> 00:05:08.780 And I don't wish to dwell on issues of dysfunction 116 00:05:08.780 --> 00:05:11.720 or stereotypes, but rather more positive approaches 117 00:05:11.720 --> 00:05:16.300 to Aboriginal self-determination, identity and survival. 118 00:05:17.940 --> 00:05:19.640 But I do want to remind us 119 00:05:19.640 --> 00:05:21.980 why many of these disparities actually persist 120 00:05:21.980 --> 00:05:25.280 despite numerous successful and effective efforts 121 00:05:25.280 --> 00:05:27.060 to enable the DEFRA 122 00:05:55.680 --> 00:05:58.300 I just want to provide a few examples of that. 123 00:05:58.420 --> 00:06:03.940 And I'm not referring to individuals or schools or non-Indigenous families 124 00:06:03.940 --> 00:06:08.260 who truly were acting in what they thought were the best interests of Aboriginal people, 125 00:06:09.440 --> 00:06:10.580 rightly or wrongly, 126 00:06:10.660 --> 00:06:15.580 but to state policy and legislation that determined the action of governments and departments 127 00:06:15.580 --> 00:06:19.900 through the documented phases of protection, segregation and assimilation. 128 00:06:21.120 --> 00:06:25.160 So the Aborigines Protection Act of 1869, or the long title, 129 00:06:25.200 --> 00:06:29.700 was the Act for the Protection and Management of the Aboriginal Natives of Victoria. 130 00:06:30.060 --> 00:06:37.280 So Victoria was actually the first colony to enact comprehensive controls of Aboriginal people. 131 00:06:37.480 --> 00:06:42.640 And the Board for the Protection of Aborigines was responsible for where Aboriginal people lived, 132 00:06:42.900 --> 00:06:47.020 what they did, how they worked, who they married and the language that they spoke. 133 00:06:47.620 --> 00:06:49.880 The Aboriginal Protection and Restoration, 134 00:06:49.900 --> 00:06:53.480 the restriction of the sale of Opium Act 1897 in Queensland, 135 00:06:53.780 --> 00:06:57.840 had similar extensive powers over the lives and control of Aboriginal people. 136 00:06:58.720 --> 00:07:02.020 The Constitution Amendment Act, Western Australia 1893, 137 00:07:03.000 --> 00:07:07.860 dictated that no Aboriginal was entitled to register for legislative council or legislative assembly. 138 00:07:09.240 --> 00:07:13.520 In contrast, the Constitution Female Suffrage Act of 1895 in South Australia 139 00:07:13.520 --> 00:07:17.120 actually gave all women, including Aboriginal women, the right to vote. 140 00:07:18.340 --> 00:07:19.880 But the Australian Constitution Amendment Act of 1895, 141 00:07:19.900 --> 00:07:24.240 which was the only constitution, was drafted without contribution from women or minorities, 142 00:07:24.480 --> 00:07:27.900 and the power to legislate for Aboriginal people remained with the states. 143 00:07:29.600 --> 00:07:34.260 The Aborigines Act 1905 for Western Australia actually gave the chief protector 144 00:07:34.260 --> 00:07:41.620 legal guardianship over all Aboriginal children and half-castes under 16 years of age, not their families. 145 00:07:42.160 --> 00:07:45.580 The Aboriginal Ordinance 1911 in the Northern Territory 146 00:07:45.580 --> 00:07:48.320 meant that all Aboriginal people had to wear identification discs. 147 00:07:50.040 --> 00:07:52.680 An amendment to that delightfully named 148 00:07:52.680 --> 00:07:55.860 Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 149 00:07:55.860 --> 00:08:00.240 made sexual intercourse between an Aboriginal woman and a non-Aboriginal man illegal, 150 00:08:00.560 --> 00:08:05.960 but also allowed for indefinite detention of Aborigines considered to be uncontrollable. 151 00:08:06.500 --> 00:08:10.040 And so for me, thank goodness that was repealed prior to 1969. 152 00:08:11.880 --> 00:08:14.880 The assimilationist policies began around 1940, 153 00:08:15.220 --> 00:08:19.880 and many of these are actually responsible for the removal of Aboriginal children from their families and communities. 154 00:08:19.880 --> 00:08:23.060 Now these policies were not about abuse or neglect, 155 00:08:23.340 --> 00:08:28.020 but they were designed to facilitate the removal of children based on race alone. 156 00:08:29.340 --> 00:08:35.620 The Aborigines Protection Act 1940 in New South Wales gave powers to an Aborigines Welfare Board, 157 00:08:35.880 --> 00:08:40.460 whose stated duty it was to facilitate assimilation into the general population. 158 00:08:41.060 --> 00:08:44.720 The Native Administration Act 1954 in WA 159 00:08:44.720 --> 00:08:49.780 said that natives having served in the armed forces for six months and been given, 160 00:08:49.880 --> 00:08:53.940 and honourable discharge, were no longer natives for the purpose of the Act. 161 00:08:54.140 --> 00:08:55.040 How generous. 162 00:08:56.400 --> 00:09:01.820 In the landmark 1967 referendum, the power to legislate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples 163 00:09:01.820 --> 00:09:05.760 moved to the Commonwealth, and we were then to be counted in the census. 164 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:10.760 And soon after, in the early 1970s, we saw a shift to principles of self-determination. 165 00:09:11.880 --> 00:09:15.520 We are signatories to various international human rights instruments, 166 00:09:15.700 --> 00:09:19.620 except of course the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 167 00:09:20.600 --> 00:09:23.820 But even with these monumental shifts in social awareness and action, 168 00:09:24.040 --> 00:09:28.440 political lip service has never been matched by political commitment, resourcing, 169 00:09:28.620 --> 00:09:33.540 or the vision to actually invest now in order to create change over the coming decades, 170 00:09:33.580 --> 00:09:36.280 and not just in terms of political cycles, 171 00:09:36.380 --> 00:09:40.780 which are usually essentially short-term and driven by the power of kudos 172 00:09:40.780 --> 00:09:43.380 versus the power of long-sightedness. 173 00:09:43.800 --> 00:09:47.920 And in fact, poor decision-making regarding social policy and infrastructure 174 00:09:48.440 --> 00:09:49.860 has actually managed to unravel the power of long-sightedness, and in fact, poor decision-making regarding social policy and infrastructure, has actually managed to unravel the power of long-sightedness. 175 00:09:49.880 --> 00:09:50.600 And in fact, poor decision-making regarding social policy and infrastructure, has actually managed to unravel the power of long-sightedness, 176 00:09:50.600 --> 00:09:52.880 many of the gains made in the last 30 years. 177 00:09:53.780 --> 00:09:57.960 Now I won't go into detail, but I'm happy to discuss it during our conversations. 178 00:09:58.280 --> 00:10:00.520 But the Northern Territory Emergency Response 179 00:10:01.160 --> 00:10:02.400 is an appallingly 180 00:10:03.540 --> 00:10:06.060 good example, if that makes sense at all, 181 00:10:06.180 --> 00:10:10.740 of how the right-stated intentions, and that is to protect Aboriginal children 182 00:10:11.400 --> 00:10:13.820 from sexual abuse and to create safer communities, 183 00:10:14.080 --> 00:10:18.500 ended up so very, very wrong in terms of process and implementation. 184 00:10:19.340 --> 00:10:19.860 ended up so very, very wrong in terms of process and implementation. 185 00:10:19.860 --> 00:10:22.440 The process did not utilise evidence to inform decision-making 186 00:10:22.440 --> 00:10:24.880 and determine the components of the intervention. 187 00:10:26.180 --> 00:10:30.520 The NTAR completely undermined the basic rights of Indigenous peoples, and in fact all citizens, 188 00:10:30.800 --> 00:10:32.620 to participate in decision-making. 189 00:10:33.480 --> 00:10:36.100 It relies upon arbitrary and blanket application 190 00:10:36.880 --> 00:10:40.460 of controls on daily life, rather than a case-by-case consideration, 191 00:10:40.840 --> 00:10:43.880 which is of course a more effective approach to changing behaviours. 192 00:10:45.640 --> 00:10:47.700 There was no consideration of the root cause 193 00:10:47.700 --> 00:10:49.640 of said social dysfunction, 194 00:10:49.640 --> 00:10:54.840 and early reports indicate additional harms currently outweigh any short-term gains. 195 00:10:55.760 --> 00:10:59.440 On the upside, there have been some very positive Indigenous health stories, 196 00:11:00.320 --> 00:11:05.580 including local initiatives that have impacted on antenatal care and perinatal outcomes for 197 00:11:05.580 --> 00:11:09.980 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mums and bubs in far north Queensland and the Northern 198 00:11:09.980 --> 00:11:10.600 Territory, 199 00:11:10.640 --> 00:11:16.660 the establishment and evolution of community-controlled services that provide benchmark comprehensive 200 00:11:16.660 --> 00:11:19.620 primary health care to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal kids, and the development of a system of care 201 00:11:19.620 --> 00:11:20.600 for communities across the country. 202 00:11:20.960 --> 00:11:25.940 We have professional organisations such as the Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association, 203 00:11:26.440 --> 00:11:32.560 the Aboriginal Dentists' Association, the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 204 00:11:32.560 --> 00:11:38.220 Nurses and a new group, the Australian Indigenous Psychologists' Association, who are the peak 205 00:11:38.220 --> 00:11:42.360 representative bodies for Indigenous health professionals, providing high-level advice 206 00:11:42.360 --> 00:11:45.480 on health policy, medical education and practice. 207 00:11:46.460 --> 00:11:49.600 We have senior Aboriginal advisors, academic advisors, and other senior Aboriginal health 208 00:11:49.600 --> 00:11:49.740 advocates. 209 00:11:50.480 --> 00:11:55.780 We have national acknowledgement of the racist mistakes that have been made in the past, 210 00:11:55.940 --> 00:12:01.340 and an apology that was not based on a sense of personal guilt but on the understanding 211 00:12:01.340 --> 00:12:03.060 that we cannot heal without it. 212 00:12:04.560 --> 00:12:08.740 We have a national health equality campaign that's spearheaded by the Social Justice Commissioner, 213 00:12:08.940 --> 00:12:13.240 the lovely Tom Kalma, and his office, which is a collaboration of leading Aboriginal and 214 00:12:13.240 --> 00:12:16.520 Torres Strait Islander human rights and health advocates from across the country. 215 00:12:16.980 --> 00:12:19.440 We have government commitments to Indigenous reform. 216 00:12:19.440 --> 00:12:22.640 We are eliminating disparities in overcoming Indigenous disadvantage. 217 00:12:25.140 --> 00:12:30.540 I want to introduce or reacquaint us with some of the constructs of human rights, a 218 00:12:30.540 --> 00:12:34.160 rights-based approach to health, social justice, and social inclusion. 219 00:12:34.900 --> 00:12:38.520 Human rights are our basic entitlements by way of our humanity. 220 00:12:38.760 --> 00:12:43.860 They protect individuals and communities against actions that interfere with fundamental freedoms 221 00:12:43.860 --> 00:12:48.960 and human dignity, and are principally concerned with the relationship between the state, that 222 00:12:48.960 --> 00:12:50.540 that is our governments and individuals. 223 00:12:50.940 --> 00:12:53.120 And broadly, we have civil and political rights 224 00:12:53.120 --> 00:12:55.460 and social, economic and cultural rights. 225 00:12:57.120 --> 00:13:00.700 They are inalienable, meaning that no one has the right to take them away. 226 00:13:00.940 --> 00:13:03.960 They are interdependent, so the realisation of one right 227 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:06.200 requires the realisation of a number of others, 228 00:13:06.320 --> 00:13:07.420 and they are indivisible. 229 00:13:07.620 --> 00:13:11.360 They are guaranteed and protected under international human rights law. 230 00:13:11.920 --> 00:13:13.620 But in order for them to be effective 231 00:13:13.620 --> 00:13:16.740 and for us to meet our international human rights obligations, 232 00:13:16.740 --> 00:13:21.180 we must actually translate these principles and practices 233 00:13:21.180 --> 00:13:23.240 into domestic policy and legislation. 234 00:13:24.100 --> 00:13:26.420 The rights of Indigenous peoples are no different 235 00:13:26.420 --> 00:13:30.040 than the rights of others, any group or any individual, 236 00:13:30.800 --> 00:13:32.960 but in fact take on different prioritisation 237 00:13:32.960 --> 00:13:37.420 dependent upon cultural as well as social and political imperatives. 238 00:13:39.280 --> 00:13:41.680 A human rights-based approach to health equality, then. 239 00:13:42.700 --> 00:13:45.880 The right to health is not the same as the right to be healthy, 240 00:13:45.980 --> 00:13:46.720 but... 241 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:48.620 ..but the right to the components to be healthy. 242 00:13:48.800 --> 00:13:52.600 So the entitlement to social and systems components 243 00:13:52.600 --> 00:13:56.800 that facilitate and support appropriate health choices and behaviours 244 00:13:56.800 --> 00:13:59.540 and provide healthy environments for growth and development. 245 00:14:00.480 --> 00:14:03.060 They include health education, environmental infrastructure 246 00:14:03.060 --> 00:14:06.460 like housing and sanitation, acute and primary medical care. 247 00:14:07.280 --> 00:14:09.380 They're inclusive of needs across the life cycle. 248 00:14:10.040 --> 00:14:12.740 They promote the human rights principles of self-determination, 249 00:14:13.540 --> 00:14:16.220 participation, non-discrimination and accountability. 250 00:14:16.800 --> 00:14:20.160 And health services must meet the three AQ criteria. 251 00:14:20.240 --> 00:14:24.160 So they must be accessible, acceptable, appropriate and of good quality. 252 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:30.760 Social justice perspectives and definitions are reflective of political, 253 00:14:31.020 --> 00:14:33.960 civil, economic, philosophical and legal practices. 254 00:14:34.360 --> 00:14:38.460 So fair and proper legislative administration must conform to the natural law 255 00:14:38.460 --> 00:14:45.740 that all persons, irrespective of ethnicity, gender, age, race, must be treated equally, 256 00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:46.700 and without prejudice. 257 00:14:47.920 --> 00:14:53.460 Social justice refers to the distribution of advantages and disadvantages across and within societies 258 00:14:53.460 --> 00:14:58.100 and the impartial, fair and equitable distribution of advantages and benefits. 259 00:14:58.660 --> 00:15:01.300 But my favourite, and that's because it's the simplest, 260 00:15:01.560 --> 00:15:04.560 is equality of opportunity and equality of outcomes. 261 00:15:06.060 --> 00:15:09.960 Social inclusion is broadly concerned with participation in social life 262 00:15:09.960 --> 00:15:15.540 and how systems, policies and services should be developed to facilitate engagement of, 263 00:15:15.620 --> 00:15:16.680 particularly the most vulnerable, 264 00:15:16.680 --> 00:15:18.440 the most disadvantaged and socially excluded. 265 00:15:18.900 --> 00:15:22.620 And social inclusion approaches are designed to reduce disparities, 266 00:15:22.960 --> 00:15:26.200 increase social, civil and economic participation, 267 00:15:27.560 --> 00:15:29.940 give greater voice and promote greater responsibility, 268 00:15:30.760 --> 00:15:33.400 build on individual and community strengths, 269 00:15:33.700 --> 00:15:35.660 and they rely heavily upon partnerships, 270 00:15:36.720 --> 00:15:39.180 the creation of tailored services to specific needs. 271 00:15:40.100 --> 00:15:42.760 They give high priority to early intervention and prevention, 272 00:15:43.780 --> 00:15:45.060 use a whole of government approach, 273 00:15:45.800 --> 00:15:46.200 and evidence, 274 00:15:46.680 --> 00:15:49.840 base and integrated data to inform policy and practice. 275 00:15:50.100 --> 00:15:53.940 They focus on locational approaches and plans for sustainability. 276 00:15:55.160 --> 00:15:59.720 So reducing disparities and improving outcomes won't be achieved through health action alone. 277 00:16:00.100 --> 00:16:03.900 In medicine, we tend to underestimate the real importance of relationships 278 00:16:03.900 --> 00:16:09.220 and how essential they are to a successful engagement with individuals and their families 279 00:16:09.220 --> 00:16:10.380 and the community more broadly, 280 00:16:10.440 --> 00:16:13.380 and how we then facilitate successful health outcomes. 281 00:16:14.800 --> 00:16:16.400 Aboriginal business is all about relationships, 282 00:16:16.400 --> 00:16:18.820 communication and partnerships, 283 00:16:19.140 --> 00:16:21.580 and how we interact, understand one another, 284 00:16:21.840 --> 00:16:23.700 acknowledge and celebrate our differences, 285 00:16:23.740 --> 00:16:24.960 but also our commonalities. 286 00:16:26.540 --> 00:16:28.820 We share wisdom, we are inclusive, 287 00:16:30.120 --> 00:16:32.100 and our basic unit is the extended family. 288 00:16:34.400 --> 00:16:35.960 We have very clear relationship structures 289 00:16:35.960 --> 00:16:37.660 which determine our interactions, 290 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:39.400 our cultural responsibilities, 291 00:16:40.100 --> 00:16:43.340 discipline issues, child raising and social networks, 292 00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:46.380 and respect has always been a central tenet of Aboriginal business. 293 00:16:46.400 --> 00:17:14.560 We have been a part of the existing 294 00:17:14.560 --> 00:17:17.260 they've seen more than any of us will ever know, 295 00:17:17.380 --> 00:17:21.800 and they know more than 2,000 generations' worth of Aboriginal people. 296 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:26.620 And I just want to paraphrase some important sort of comments and lessons 297 00:17:26.620 --> 00:17:29.440 that have been shared with me from Arnhem Land, from Central Australia, 298 00:17:30.180 --> 00:17:32.020 and Indigenous peoples from other nations. 299 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:37.520 And one of my favourites is that children are the soul of the earth, 300 00:17:37.620 --> 00:17:40.180 but our systems are driving the spirit from them. 301 00:17:41.420 --> 00:17:45.180 Young men shall see visions and old men shall dream dreams. 302 00:17:45.600 --> 00:17:48.900 So, in other words, it's up to the young mob to take up the challenges, 303 00:17:49.020 --> 00:17:51.100 fight the battles and drive change. 304 00:17:51.400 --> 00:17:54.560 And it's for the old men to sit back, be the brains of the outfit, 305 00:17:54.760 --> 00:17:56.960 share their expertise and to be our mentors. 306 00:17:58.280 --> 00:18:00.620 An elder told me that the world is in chaos 307 00:18:00.620 --> 00:18:04.280 because Indigenous peoples have been dispossessed and disrespected. 308 00:18:04.620 --> 00:18:07.940 We are the keepers of thousands of generations of knowledge 309 00:18:07.940 --> 00:18:10.160 and cherish Mother Earth as our home. 310 00:18:10.180 --> 00:18:13.780 We are our creator as well as the resting place for our bones 311 00:18:13.780 --> 00:18:15.820 when our spirits go to the ancestors. 312 00:18:16.400 --> 00:18:19.920 We cannot return the balance and the order of Mother Earth 313 00:18:19.920 --> 00:18:23.200 until non-Indigenous communities realise our true worth 314 00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:26.640 and they will come to us seeking to overturn the harm. 315 00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:30.100 So, does this explain an Aboriginal way? 316 00:18:30.280 --> 00:18:33.740 I mean, I think I'm just trying to illustrate a number of components 317 00:18:33.740 --> 00:18:36.800 that are important to an appropriate and inclusive approach 318 00:18:36.800 --> 00:18:39.400 to Indigenous peoples' health and wellbeing 319 00:18:39.400 --> 00:18:40.160 using the very same principles that we use in our work. 320 00:18:40.180 --> 00:18:43.360 The very principles that we have known and nurtured for 2,000 generations. 321 00:18:45.480 --> 00:18:49.280 Our relationships are central and they're central to our culture, 322 00:18:49.400 --> 00:18:51.480 to understanding and to our progress. 323 00:18:51.940 --> 00:18:55.860 And that despite oppression, discrimination and control, we survive. 324 00:18:56.900 --> 00:18:58.540 So there must be something in it, 325 00:18:58.620 --> 00:19:01.580 a resilience that we're only just now beginning to define. 326 00:19:02.540 --> 00:19:06.860 I'm hoping to sow the seed, facilitate discussion and motivate change 327 00:19:06.860 --> 00:19:08.880 and also hoping to raise awareness 328 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:10.160 of how Indigenous people are being treated and treated. 329 00:19:10.180 --> 00:19:10.660 I'm hoping to sow the seed, facilitate discussion and motivate change 330 00:19:10.660 --> 00:19:11.380 and also hope that Indigenous perspectives can enrich 331 00:19:11.380 --> 00:19:15.100 and inform the way we think as professionals and as advocates. 332 00:19:15.760 --> 00:19:18.240 Social reform is driven by social action. 333 00:19:18.420 --> 00:19:19.900 It's an active, not a passive phenomenon. 334 00:19:21.080 --> 00:19:24.360 So get out there, be change agents, agitate, aggravate, 335 00:19:24.380 --> 00:19:26.800 which is my specialty, and consider the following 336 00:19:26.800 --> 00:19:30.060 and sow the seed amongst your personal and professional circles. 337 00:19:30.800 --> 00:19:33.560 So one, rather than applying a mainstream perspective 338 00:19:33.560 --> 00:19:36.480 and inflexible systems to Aboriginal health, 339 00:19:37.280 --> 00:19:40.160 invert the approach and invest in Indigenous people. 340 00:19:40.160 --> 00:19:47.940 That's a tool that I'm using now to enable the DEFRA 341 00:20:07.240 --> 00:20:13.900 strengths of our culture because Australia will stand diminished until we do. It's my favourite. 342 00:20:14.180 --> 00:20:19.600 Promote constitutional reform and not a preamble, not just a Human Rights Act, but a constitutional 343 00:20:19.600 --> 00:20:25.140 recognition of the contributions, rights and freedoms of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 344 00:20:25.140 --> 00:20:30.760 peoples and all Australian citizens. Constitutional protection for our most vulnerable populations 345 00:20:30.760 --> 00:20:35.200 and constitutional recognition of the right to health might be a very nice start. 346 00:20:35.880 --> 00:20:41.680 We must enshrine human rights, their entitlements and protections in a national document that 347 00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:46.920 reflects contemporary Australia and commits to our responsibilities under international 348 00:20:46.920 --> 00:20:47.840 human rights law. 349 00:20:49.080 --> 00:20:53.080 So now that I've dropped that little bomb, I'd just like to end with a short piece from 350 00:20:53.080 --> 00:20:58.760 Keeping Company, an intercultural conversation. It's a beautiful book and this little piece 351 00:20:58.760 --> 00:21:03.540 describes or is the story that accompanies a very beautiful painting that's on the cover 352 00:21:03.540 --> 00:21:05.000 here and I'm happy for you to come. 353 00:21:05.200 --> 00:21:11.820 And share that and to look at that. And in case I forget, happy NAIDOC week. But the 354 00:21:11.820 --> 00:21:19.240 painting is Reconciliation by Pingari Kwenentyeri Rabantja from Alice Springs. And this is the 355 00:21:19.240 --> 00:21:25.420 story as it goes. This is the story of reconciliation, of how all people in Australia can coexist 356 00:21:25.420 --> 00:21:30.260 in harmony and peace for the future of the nation. Until we reconcile our differences, 357 00:21:30.340 --> 00:21:35.020 we cannot hope to keep company in a constructive, integrated manner. It is when 358 00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:39.480 people can accept each other unconditionally that intercultural conversation can begin. 359 00:21:39.860 --> 00:21:45.500 When we can sit together and talk about the ordinary things of life, the things of importance 360 00:21:46.100 --> 00:21:51.540 for us and one another, we will begin to be a nation of harmony and tolerance. It is a 361 00:21:51.540 --> 00:21:56.460 story of reconciliation with the earth and humankind. By caring and nurturing, the land 362 00:21:56.460 --> 00:22:02.120 can be healed the same way as the people can be. It is a story of reconciliation between 363 00:22:02.120 --> 00:22:04.480 the original inhabitants and the rest of the population. 364 00:22:05.640 --> 00:22:10.640 The story is one of both healing and sickness, of the need to maintain balance in life by 365 00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:16.220 adopting right attitudes and behaviour. According to the Atyere, this story tells of how the 366 00:22:16.220 --> 00:22:20.880 country in and surrounding Alice Springs is a human bodily structure, which in turn is 367 00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:26.240 a symbol of wholeness for all of Australia. Each part of the landscape represents a specific 368 00:22:26.240 --> 00:22:33.480 part of the body. Head, shoulders, trunk, legs and feet, all in balance. The spinal 369 00:22:33.480 --> 00:22:35.180 column is the Todd River, which is the 370 00:22:35.200 --> 00:22:41.060 large, usually dry river which runs north-south through Alice Springs. Overlaying this symbolism 371 00:22:41.060 --> 00:22:46.100 is the Atyere Ayyepi Aranya, which wends its way from all directions of the compass north, 372 00:22:46.220 --> 00:22:51.800 south, east and west, entering the body through its different parts. This Atyere Ayyepi Aranya 373 00:22:52.400 --> 00:22:56.760 reaches out for hundreds of kilometres from its central area. Depending on how balanced 374 00:22:56.760 --> 00:23:02.040 the country and people are, the Ayyepi Aranya has its specific effect either for wellbeing 375 00:23:02.040 --> 00:23:05.180 or sickness. If the land is not nurtured, the people are not able to live in peace. 376 00:23:05.180 --> 00:23:10.360 The people who are failing in their responsibilities will become sick themselves. The small Ayyepi 377 00:23:10.360 --> 00:23:15.400 Aranya are the ones who act as agents for either the sickness or wellbeing. The story 378 00:23:15.400 --> 00:23:20.680 is of special significance for both men and women, neither dominates the other. There 379 00:23:20.680 --> 00:23:26.260 are both men's and women's sacred sites throughout the area. The ceremonial links between the 380 00:23:26.260 --> 00:23:31.720 Ayyepi Aranya and the people are significant wherever the Ayyepi Aranya travels. The colours 381 00:23:31.720 --> 00:23:35.160 of the painting are of particular significance. The background dots on the painting are of 382 00:23:35.160 --> 00:23:38.480 the same importance. The dots represent the multicultural dimension of Australian society, 383 00:23:38.880 --> 00:23:43.060 all living together, intermingling in their many different traditions. 384 00:23:44.980 --> 00:23:50.280 Thank you for your time. I'd love to take questions and I hope you all travel safe. 385 00:23:50.440 --> 00:23:50.820 Manmak. 386 00:23:59.620 --> 00:24:03.460 Do we have a microphone or can we just... 387 00:24:03.460 --> 00:24:05.040 Yeah, it's small. 388 00:24:05.060 --> 00:24:05.140 Yeah, it's small. 389 00:24:05.140 --> 00:24:11.920 It's small enough here, so just feel free to enter into some discussion about it. Thanks, 390 00:24:11.920 --> 00:24:19.140 Naira. Do you want to hold up the... It's a great picture and it's great colours too. 391 00:24:19.640 --> 00:24:25.880 And I do commend that book. There's a few copies floating around, but I'm pretty sure 392 00:24:25.880 --> 00:24:29.820 you can get it at Imprints. Any questions? 393 00:24:31.140 --> 00:24:35.120 My personal philosophy since I was three years old, I've been a philosopher since I was three 394 00:24:35.120 --> 00:24:47.440 years old. I'm a liberal 395 00:24:59.040 --> 00:25:13.440 The words that you chose were so meaningful and so tied together that I want to make a formal request to get hold of the transcript 396 00:25:14.340 --> 00:25:34.300 and also find out when it will be broadcast because I'd like to take some time to work my way through it and eventually think about what action I want to take. 397 00:25:34.300 --> 00:25:42.280 I already have some actions I want to take for Aboriginal reconciliation, and I'm a white person actually. 398 00:25:42.760 --> 00:25:43.420 But I'm not going to do that. 399 00:25:46.240 --> 00:25:50.360 But I'm sure that your talk will inspire me to some others. 400 00:25:53.020 --> 00:25:54.480 So that's my request. 401 00:25:55.040 --> 00:25:56.360