7.

c)

In its simplest sense, terra nullius is land belonging to no one. Antarctica is terra nullius. Even in the
eighteenth century, however, Europeans would have been hard-pressed to find a large landmass without
inhabitants.

In 1770 Captain James Cook landed in Botany Bay, home of the Eora people, and claimed possession of
the East Coast of Australia for Britain under the doctrine of 'terra nullius'

According to the international law of Europe in the late 18th century, there were only three ways that
Britain could take possession of another country:

• If the country was uninhabited, Britain could claim and settle that country. In this case, it could claim
ownership of the land.

• If the country was already inhabited, Britain could ask for permission from the indigenous people to use
some of their land. In this case, Britain could purchase land for its own use but it could not steal the land
of the indigenous people.

• If the country was inhabited, Britain could take over the country by invasion and conquest- in other
words, defeat that country in war. However, even after winning a war, Britain would have to respect the
rights of indigenous people.

d)

The 1967 Referendum proposed to include Aboriginal people in the census.

The 1967 Referendum proposed to allow the Commonwealth government to make laws for
Aboriginal people.

The Australian referendum of 27 May 1967, called by the Holt Government, approved two
amendments to the Australian constitution relating to Indigenous Australians. Technically it was
a vote on the Constitution Alteration (Aboriginals) 1967,[1]which became law on 10 August
1967 following the results of the referendum. The amendments were overwhelmingly endorsed,
winning 90.77% of votes cast and carrying in all six states.[2] These amendments altered
sections 51(xxvi),[3] and 127,[4] having the immediate effect of including Aboriginal
Australians in determinations of population, and also empowering the Federal Parliament to
legislate specifically for this racial group. The other question put in the referendum, to allow the
number of seats in the House of Representatives to be increased without increasing the number
of senators, was rejected. It received majority support in only one state – New South Wales – and
received about 40.25% "yes" votes nationwide.
e)
After winning the election in 2007 Prime Minister Kevin Rudd began consulting with Indigenous
Australians about the form an apology should take. In the spirit of the new commitment to Indigenous affairs, a
Welcome to Country ceremony was held at the opening Parliament. This was the first time that such a
ceremony was held.

Matilda House, Ngambri Elder, welcomed visitors to country and dancers from around Australia and the
Torres Strait Islands took part in the ceremony. A message stick was presented to the Prime Minister by
Matilda’s grandchildren as a tangible symbol of the ceremony. Message sticks were a ‘means of
communication used by our peoples for thousands of years. They tell the story of our coming together,’ said
Matilda.

Members of the Stolen Generations were invited to hear the National Apology first-hand in the gallery of The
House of Representatives chamber at Parliament House in Canberra. The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd
delivered the Apology at 9.00am on 13 February 2008.

8.1

 widespread grief and loss

 impacts of the Stolen Generations and removal of children
 unresolved trauma
 separation from culture and identity issues
 discrimination based on race or culture
 economic and social disadvantage
 physical health problems
 incarceration
 violence
 substance misuse.

8.2

Health impacts across the life course There are a number of health conditions that significantly
contribute to the disparity in the health status between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people and the non-Indigenous population. Interventions on these issues need to recognise the
importance of a multi-layered approach to risk factor modification including system-level and
community responses alongside programs targeted at individuals. The top seven risk factors that
require a continued focus are illustrated below. Smoking leads to higher incidence of a number
of diseases, including chronic lung disease, cardiovascular disease and many forms of cancer.
Obesity, which can result from the combination of poor nutrition and physical inactivity,
increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes.
Tobacco ,
Obesity ,
Physical inactivity
High blood cholesterol
Alcohol
High blood pressure
Low fruit & vegetable intake

8.3
NACCHO is the national peak body representing 143 Aboriginal Community Controlled
Health Services (ACCHSs) across the country on Aboriginal health and wellbeing
issues. It has a history stretching back to a meeting in Albury in 1974.

8.4
An Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service is a primary health care service initiated
and operated by the local Aboriginal community to deliver holistic, comprehensive, and
culturally appropriate health care to the community which controls it, through a locally elected
Board of Management.

NACCHO’s work is focused on:

• By Promoting, developing and expanding the provision of health and wellbeing services
through local ACCHSs;

• By Liaison with organisations and governments within both the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal
community on health and wellbeing policy and planning issues;

• By Representation and advocacy relating to health service delivery, health information,

research, public health, health financing and health programs;
10.1

Racism is the belief in the superiority of one race over another, which often results
in discrimination and prejudice towards people based on their race or ethnicity. As of the 2000s,
the use of the term "racism" does not easily fall under a single definition.

10.2

Discrimination is treating a person or particular group of people differently,especially in

a worse way from the way in which you treat other people, because
of their skin colour, sex, sexuality, etc.

10.3

Over the past 30 years the Commonwealth Government and the state and territory governments have
introduced laws to help protect people from discrimination and harassment.

The following laws operate at a federal level and the Australian Human Rights Commission has statutory
responsibilities under them: (Victoria – Equal Opportunity Act 2010)

• Age Discrimination Act 2004

• Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986

• Disability Discrimination Act 1992

• Racial Discrimination Act 1975

• Sex Discrimination Act 1984.

10.4

To ensure that Family Day Care Service is responsive to the community in which it operates. It has to
follow processes and supports in place to provide access to the service for children, families, staff and
educators regardless of gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, religion, political conviction,
impairment, family responsibility or status and age. When participating in the service everyone will be
protected from harassment due to sex, race, impairment or any other reason.

POLICY:

Day Care Service is committed to the principles of Equal Opportunity in relation to community access to
the service and the appointment of staff. Individuals will be treated with respect regardless of their
gender, race, religion, age, impairment, marital status, POLICY 14.0 political conviction, pregnancy,
family responsibility or family status. The service will actively promote the positive aspects of diversity
and encourage acceptance and appreciation of individual differences. Education and care will be made
available to the community in accordance with the Commonwealth “Priority of Access Guidelines”.

Procedures:

1. The service will have access to current information regarding Equal Opportunity legislation.

2. Families, educators and staff will be given clear instructions about the Commonwealth “Priority of
Access Guidelines”.

3. The service will endeavour to ensure that all policies and practices are inclusive.

Children

1. Equal Opportunity principles will be an integral part of the service’s daily programs and routines.
Children will be given positive experiences which encourage equal opportunity. Programs will actively
include opportunities for the children to experience diversity of culture, gender roles etc.

2. Family day care educators and service staff will treat individual children and their families with
respect. They will take into account individual differences in language, attitudes, abilities, assumptions
and expectations.

3. Aboriginal children will be supported in their placement in the service by their family having access to
the Aboriginal Resource Worker.

4. Children who have a disability will not be discriminated against and will be afforded access to the
service

where: (i) a place exists; (ii) they meet the required priority of access; (iii) the service is able to access
and/or borrow appropriate resources to care for the child. The service will support family day care
educators in their efforts to include children with a disability within their service by actively participating
in the Inclusion Support Program.

Family day care educators and service staff

1. All educators/staff will be selected or employed according to equal opportunity guidelines. As Bright
Futures Family Day Care Service operates in an area of high Aboriginal population, at least one position
will be filled by an Aboriginal person (The Equal Opportunities Act, 1984 S50[d]).

12.1

Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people do not use Standard Australian English as their first
language. In some cases it is a second, third or fourth language/dialect.

 Do not make assumptions about the level of English proficiency of a patient.

This includes level of literacy. Making an assumption may offend patients and may result in broken
trust and the patient may never return to receive care.

 Be mindful and sensitive, but not assuming, that all patients have low levels of literacy.

12.2

Non-verbal communication :

Some non-verbal communication cues (hand gestures, facial expressions etc.) used by Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander people have different meanings in the Western context. Be mindful
that your own non-verbal communication will be observed and interpreted.
For example, feelings of annoyance may be reflected by your body language and are likely to be
noticed.
Personal space
Be conscious about the distance to which you are standing near a person. Standing too close to a
person that you are unfamiliar with, or of the opposite gender, can make a person feel
uncomfortable or threatened. Touch Always seek permission and explain to the person reasons
why you need to touch.

12.3
Strategies that enhance the ability to be culturally safe include:

 reflecting on one’s own culture, attitudes and beliefs about ‘others’

 clear, value free, open and respectful communication
 developing trust
 recognising and avoiding stereotypical barriers
 being prepared to engage with others in a two-way dialogue where knowledge is shared
 understanding the influence of culture shock

13.1

While there are many common issues that young people face as they mature and go through
adolescence, there are a number of cultural factors that are important to bear in mind when working
with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents. These are some pointers for dealing with young
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

For an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person, adolescence is traditionally the time when they go
through initiation. This can mark a passage into adulthood, or in the case of some Aboriginal
communities, they are given sacred and secret cultural knowledge. This knowledge is often particular to
a person’s gender and eventual status or role in the community. Such cultural practices vary amongst
communities – whether remote, urban or regional, and according to the extent to which traditional
practices are maintained.

Generally, however, it is a time when young people learn who they are in relation to family, nation or a
collection of clans, ancestors and land.

For an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander young person, adolescence is the time when understanding
their cultural identity is critical to their development. It is important that they are given the opportunity
to identify as a strong member of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and to take pride
in their cultural background. There may be relationships that develop between the young person and an
acknowledged Elder in the community. There may be the need for the young person to spend time in
their community in order to do ‘cultural business’.

13.2
Increasing participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through
encouragement to join in and share activities in relation to their culture e.g. sharing
knowledge, art work, excursions, sharing special stories/books/photographs, food etc.

Cultural realities can be addressed in order to facilitate full participation by having

cultural awareness re: history and practices, showing/giving full support to the service
delivery of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders

Strategies that can be implemented to address these cultural realities: giving respect and
acknowledgement (delivered at start) to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
when meetings, conferences or community gathering are being held - acknowledging land
(in which we meet), original custodians, respect to elders past and present.

13.3

Involve or collaborate with Aboriginal persons or groups when planning events, programs,
service delivery and organisational development activities
• Develop policies and procedures that take cultural matters into consideration
• Provide programs that encourage participation by Aboriginal persons
• Use appropriate communication methods and language e.g. appropriate and relevant
information communicated through user and culturally-friendly mediums.

promote and foster a culturally friendly environment.

display attitudes and behaviours that demonstrate respect for all cultural groups
 13.5

AIDOC Week celebrations are held around the country each July to celebrate the history,
culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The week is
celebrated not just in our Indigenous communities but also in increasing number of
government agencies, community organisations, local councils, workplaces, schools and
sporting groups.

13.6

 Display Indigenous posters around your class room

 Invite local Indigenous elders to speak at your school or workplace.
 Listen to Indigenous music.
 Research the traditional Indigenous owners of your area.
 Study Aboriginal arts and crafts.
 Read a Dreamtime story.
 Create your own Aboriginal art.
 Visit local Indigenous sites of significance or interest.
 Learn the meanings of local or national Aboriginal place names.
 Invite Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander dancers to perform.