I decided to become a nurse to change health outcomes for our people and to try to create a sense of equity in Indigenous health.
Growing up, I would question why my family and my mob suffer from poor health outcomes compared to non-Indigenous people who had access to some of the world’s best healthcare.
I would see non-Indigenous people go into hospital, and come back out with no issues, while my mob were hesitant and not trusting of the healthcare system due to racism.
I was always questioning why my family and my people’s health was dwindling, while the non-Indigenous people were able to be treated so easily, but it wasn’t until I was a little older that I started to understand how things were.
I am surprised by the numbers of non-Indigenous people I speak to, who aren’t aware of the true history behind January 26 and how it has impacted our health. It was the day our country was taken possession of by Captain Arthur Philip. It was the first introduction of the British flag, which was raised on Indigenous land.
This day was the start of our ongoing mental, spiritual and physical health struggle. It’s not one single thing that has caused this; but since the day of the invasion, our levels of health and education have declined, practicing our culture and language was denied and our lands were taken.
The ongoing effects of colonisation have led to lower life expectancies for our people.
The most recent data from the showed that Indigenous men lived to 71.6 years of age compared to non-Indigenous men who lived up to 80.2 years - that's a significant difference.
"First Nations health care professionals are important across the board, because we know how to treat our mob." Source: Supplied: Shahnaz Rind
During that same time frame, there was a 7.8-year gap between the life expectancies of Indigenous and non-Indigenous females.
This has not improved dramatically over the years – it has changed gradually, and these gaps could be even wider as we don't have enough data on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within our healthcare systems. This is crucial information.
Intergenerational trauma - massacres, the Stolen Generations, various forms of oppression and racism, have resulted in the compression of the health and well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Our people continue to be affected by chronic health issues including cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, kidney disease, diabetes and mental illness.
Because of this, First Nations health care professionals are important across the board, because we know how to treat our mob. We best know culture, language, and how those things come into play when it comes to health and educating our people. We trust our people, and our people trust us.
My sister Naz and I experience this on the frontline. Over the past two years that COVID has swept the nation, we have put ourselves out there in community helping to vaccinate, test, and educate our people, which has included putting out Victoria’s Aboriginal health directives.
Mob who were unsure, worried and not trusting of the government were able to understand the importance of getting tested and vaccinated to keep the rest of our at risk communities safe. Having Aboriginal nurses and Aboriginal faces on the front line supporting our community made a real change.
Because of what I see in my field and what I know has happened for generations, I think repeating the celebration of what I call war crimes on this day is hurtful and has a negative impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's health.
On this day I reflect on all the health issues our people battle, issues that have developed since our lands were first claimed on January 26, 1788.
a selection of dedicated programming, special events and news highlights with a focus on encouraging a deeper understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives on 26 January. Join the conversation #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe
